Naoko
by Werewolves are People Too
Summary: Conan Edogawa was walking with his freinds when he noticed a strange girl in an alleyway. This girl has a strange story, and a deadly enemy. And now Conan's got himslf mixed into the puzzle. What will happen? Who is this strange girl?
1. The Mysterious Girl, Naoko

**Naoko**

**Chapter One: The Mysterious Girl, Naoko**

Conan Edogawa walked swiftly down the street, headed home after another rather boring day at school. He was eager to get home and see Ran, the girl he had his eye on. Conan had the appearance of just a seven year old child, but he was actually seventeen year old Detective Shinichi Kudou. He was transformed into a child after being force-fed a poison. Ran Mouri was his best friend in high school, but now he lived with her and her father, Private Detective Kogoro Mouri.

Kogoro Mouri was a lazy, drinking slob. Shinichi was surprised he could even be _called_ a private investigator. He mostly relied on Ran to do everything for him, and Conan thought that a grown man should be able to take care of himself. As he walked into the apartment, he took off his shoes and called out to Ran. He got no answer, so he headed down the hall. He found Kogoro asleep on the couch, five o'clock shadow on his face and an empty beer can in his loose grip.

Conan scrunched up his nose and set his backpack down on the floor. He stepped quietly over to where Kogoro slept, avoiding stepping on old newspapers and empty cans, and took the beer can out of his hand. He tossed it into the garbage in the kitchen and paused as he saw a glimpse of white on the table. Cursing his small frame, he climbed up onto the table and read the note.

_Conan-kun,_

_I headed off to the grocery store. I should be home at about five o'clock. You were late, so I hope you made it back okay. If dad wakes up (which I doubt he will), Tell him to go back to sleep. If Shinichi calls make sure to write down the message, okay? Thanks so much! See you later!_

_Love,_

_Ran_

Conan scowled. He wasn't that late, he could've gone too! He shoved his hands into his pockets and sat on the floor dejectedly. He stared at the tiles for a while before locking his fingers behind his head and lying on his back to stare at the ceiling. His eyes drifted closed and he fell into a light slumber.

"Conan-kun, wake up," Ran said two hours later, prodding him awake. He stirred and blinked drowsily. She smiled brightly down at him. "Silly Conan-kun, why did you fall asleep on the kitchen floor?" she asked.

"Sorry Ran-neechan. I guess I was just more tired than I thought," he giggled. Inwardly, Shinichi rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he _meant_ to take a nap on the kitchen floor! It's a killer on your back, seven or seventeen.

"Well get up, your little school friends are here waiting for you. Dad's slept through the doorbell again, heaven only knows how long they've been out there waiting!" she exclaimed. Conan frowned. He was usually a light sleeper, how could he miss that monstrous doorbell ringing over and over as three anxious seven year olds waited outside? He got up shrugging slightly.

He made his way out to the living room. Kogoro snore loudly, making him jump slightly. Ayumi laughed. Genta and Mitsuhiko guffawed loudly. Richard snorted in his sleep and rolled over, knocking three cans off the couch.

"Come on, Conan! Yaiba is at the mall again! 'Member what happened last time? We could have another adventure!" Ayumi said happily. Shinichi had to admit, she had a good attitude.

"Yeah, okay, I'll come along!" he said in fake cheerfulness. He laughed nervously as they jumped up into the air in childish triumph. Genta grabbed his arm and started pulling him out.

"Well what are you waiting for? I'm hungry!" he said loudly, pulling him along to keep up.

"Genta-chan, calm down! You can eat any old time!" Mitsuhiko said smartly. He took a quick glance at Ayumi, who wasn't paying the least amount of attention to him. She wasn't even looking at Conan. Conan followed her gaze. Her eyes were focused on a girl across the street in an alley. The girl was in a ratty, dirty dress, and her hair was stringy and grubby. She had deep brown eyes that seemed to stare into your very soul. There was dirt and grime on her face and other exposed skin. Her bare feet were cut and her legs and arms were bruised. She was looking at them innocently, with a glint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Hey, who is that?" Conan asked Ayumi in a hushed voice. She looked over at him with a sad look on her face.

"Her name is Naoko. She's seven like us. But she doesn't have a house or parents. She lives in that alley all by herself," Ayumi explained sadly.

"Then how do you know her name?" Conan asked curiously.

"Don't you know, Conan? She's a little trouble maker, she's always stealing stuff!" Genta said loudly. Shinichi looked over at the girl. Her lower lip trembled as she heard Genta's words and she turned and disappeared down the dark alley.

"Genta! How could you say that? You don't even know her!" Ayumi cried disapprovingly.

"Sorry Ayumi, but I don't like the looks of her! My parents say that she should be kicked out of Japan," Genta said.

"That's cruel!" Ayumi cried furiously. They continued to argue. Shinichi looked back over to the alley again. This Naoko was very interesting. He turned to Mitsuhiko.

"Do you know anything about her?" he asked.

"All I know is that her parents died in a car crash along with her sister when she was two. They found her, but she ran away from the orphanage. She lives in that alley, like Ayumi-chan said. She doesn't seem all that bad, but Genta was right, she does steal sometimes. But she has to be hungry, right?" Mitsuhiko pondered. Shinichi frowned, thinking. He remembered something about a car crash killing a family a few years back. He didn't know that the little girl had gone missing.

After a small argument, they continued their way to the mall to see Yaiba. Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko grew excited again and Conan followed them towards the mall.

After an hour long Yaiba show, in which Genta had four hotdogs and Mitsuhiko and Ayumi had screamed themselves hoarse, they headed back to the street. On the sidewalk, headed home by himself, Conan found himself across the street of Naoko's alleyway.

He studied the alley for a while from across the street, before crossing quickly and getting a closer look. It was dark, but he could make out some trash cans and rags. The rags were piled up next to the wall, as if it was a bed. The trash cans were tipped over, as though someone had dug through them vigorously. There was a clatter behind him. He spun around quickly. Naoko was behind him, staring into his eyes. Her mouth was open in a tiny 'o' of surprise. She blinked and bent down to gather up what she dropped. Conan fell to his knees to help. She'd gathered almost everything and stuffed the bruised fruit into a makeshift sack. He held out the last apple to her. She stared at it before looking up and meeting his eyes again.

She hesitantly reached out and held her hand a few inches away from the apple. She paused for about half a minute, staring deep into his eyes. Suddenly, she snatched it away quick as lightning and shoved it into the sack. He blinked in surprise. Naoko stood up and hastily passed him. He turned and watched her.

"Um, I was wondering if I could get your name?" he asked lamely. She slowly looked at him again. "Can you talk?" he asked nervously. She looked down at her unsophisticated bed of rags. She looked back at him and opened her mouth. Then she closed it again and licked her lips. She took a breath and opened her mouth, struggling to find words.

"A little," she said slowly, with obvious effort. Shinichi noticed how she seemed to struggle with words.

"And, umm, what was your name?" he asked trying to make conversation. She made a thoughtful face.

"Naoko," she said gradually. Then she nodded smiling slightly. "Yes! Naoko, Naoko!" she said excitedly. Shinichi grinned lopsidedly.

"Well, I'm Conan, it's nice to meet you," he said smiling. She looked a little hesitant.

"Do you want to be friends?" He asked. She looked at him in shock. She was staring at him again. Shinichi wondered if he'd said something wrong.

"Naoko," she started. "Naoko friend," she paused, thinking. It was obvious she hadn't spoken in a while. "Naoko, no had friend, before." She stated looking somewhat confused and a little pleased.

"Well, I'll be your friend, if you'll let me," Shinichi said. He felt a little bit foolish making friends with a homeless girl. She didn't answer him. It was getting dark. He knew Ran would be worried if he didn't get home, so he stood up slowly.

"I have to go. I'll come and talk to you sometime, okay?" he asked. She looked at him but didn't say anything. He shifted uncomfortably and said goodbye before leaving. He ran down the sidewalk and didn't stop until he reached the house.

"Ran-neechan! I'm home!" he called kicking off his sneakers. She appeared in the hall.

"Hi Conan-kun! How was the show?" she asked. He shrugged.

"It was good. What did you do while I was gone?" he asked curiously. She smiled slightly.

"I tried to convince dad to get off the couch. He's so stubborn. Do you know how I can get him up?" she asked hopefully. He smiled mischievously.

"Did you try dumping cold water on him?" he asked impishly. She shook her head, smiling widely.

"Oh Conan-kun, you're so silly," she laughed. "Just like Shinichi..." she trailed off. She shook her head.

"It's getting late Conan-kun, why don't you try to go to sleep?" she asked. He nodded and smiled, yawning.

"Okay Ran-neechan. Goodnight," he said.

"Sleep well," she called down the hall to him. He changed into his stripped pajamas and sank into his warm bed. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he thought about how fortunate he was to be in a bed at all.

He fell asleep and his dreams were filled of Naoko and her deep brown eyes.


	2. The Enemy

**Guess what I dont own! Case Closed!**

**Naoko**

**Chapter Two: The Enemy**

Shinichi woke up to rays of sunlight running across his face. He blinked and stretched. Absentmindedly shoving his glasses on his face, he stood up and headed out to the kitchen. Kogoro was at the kitchen table, beer can in hand, nagging Ran to hurry up with his breakfast.

"Good morning, Ran-neechan," Conan said cheerfully. She turned round and smiled brightly.

"Why hello there, sleepy head," she teased. She turned back to her cooking and mixed the waffle batter.

"Will you hurry up?" Kogoro grumped from the table. Shinichi shot him a disapproving look. He sat down across from Kogoro and waited. Ran made the best waffles.

After breakfast, Ran started the dishes. Shinichi got dressed and told Ran he was going to the park to meet his friends. She smiled at him.

"Okay then, Conan-kun. You have fun, now! I'm going out to the mall with Sonoko, so how about you meet us in the food court around three o'clock?" she suggested. Shinichi blanched.

_'Sonoko Suzuki! How can she be friends with her?' _Shinichi thought.

"Yeah, okay! That sounds great!" Conan said. He headed out the door. "Bye Ran-neechan! I'll meet you at the food court!" he hollered. She waved and went back to the sudsy foam in the sink. Conan shoved on his sneakers and ran out the door. On his way down the street, he stopped in front of Naoko's alley. It was empty. He studied the alley for a little while before running towards the park. Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko were already there, waiting for him.

"What took you so long, Conan-chan?" Ayumi asked. He laughed slightly.

"Oh nothing really. I got a little sidetracked is all," he said. She accepted this answer immediately.

"Well what do you want to do you guys?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Let's play a game!" Ayumi cried happily.

"No lets go down to the river and catch fish!" Genta said.

"Yeah!" Mitsuhiko agreed. Conan just shrugged. They headed off to the river with buckets and nets from Genta's house. Catching the little guppies was easy, but Shinichi was sweat-dropped when Mitsuhiko and Genta began fighting over them.

"I caught them, they should be mine!" Mitsuhiko yelled.

"I scared them all over to you I should get them!" Genta argued.

"Hey you guys, Conan caught most of them, so he should take them," Ayumi said. That started up a whole other argument. Shinichi rolled his eyes and flopped back on the grass tiredly. A little nap sounded nice. Especially after almost a whole day with seven year olds.

_'This is so tiring. Don't little kids ever rest?'_ Shinichi thought. His eyes closed and he drifted off.

Ran was tired. Sonoko had dragged her all over the mall, avoiding video games shops and pet stores, looking at clothes and jewelry and perfumes she could never afford if it wasn't for her father. And she'd flirted with probably every guy there. Ran was tired.

"Like what's up with you, Ran? You're not acting like yourself," Sonoko said. Ran shrugged.

"I guess I just have some things on my mind," Ran sighed.

"Oh I get it," Sonoko said knowingly. "It's that Shinichi isn't it?"

"No! No of course not! Why would you think that?" Ran asked blushing.

"You know you're totally like in love with him," Sonoko said easily, picking a dress off one of the racks. She held it against herself and turned to the mirror. "Would this make me look fat?"

"I don't know. And I'm not in love with him!" Ran said hastily. Sonoko just smiled and headed for a dressing room, arms full of outfits. She closed the curtain and Ran sat out in front of the curtain to wait.

_'I don't like him. He hasn't even called in almost a month!' _she thought.

"So if you don't like him so much, then why aren't you trying to find someone new?" Sonoko asked. "Hey can you help me with this clasp?" she asked opening the curtain and turning around. Rachel started buttoning it up.

"I don't know. I guess I'm not really in the mood for a boyfriend." Ran said thoughtfully. Sonoko snorted.

"Yeah, sure. Does this make my butt look big?" Sonoko asked studying herself in the mirror.

"You could look good in anything, Sonoko," Ran said. She unbuttoned the dress again and stepped out, closing the curtain again.

"So you should like go meet someone. If Shinichi even cared about you, wouldn't he have told you? He wouldn't have left if he really liked you," Sonoko insisted.

"Maybe..." Ran said. He wouldn't...would he?

"There are plenty of other fish in the sea, Ran. You have to find someone new," Sonoko said zipping up a pair of jeans.

"I guess I should. I don't know though. What if he's like, the one?" Ran asked.

"Don't go all psychology on me, Ran." Sonoko pleaded. Ran rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," she said. Where was Shinichi now?

Conan awoke to water being dumped on his head. He scowled darkly as Genta and Mitsuhiko laughed loudly. Ayumi smiled and covered her mouth so Conan wouldn't see. He muttered menacingly to himself.

_'Stupid kids! I'll get them back!' _he thought furiously. He was dripping with freezing cold water. He shivered.

"What time is it?" he asked. He looked down at his watch and cringed. It was already three thirty. He stood up hastily and started off.

"Conan where are you going?" Ayumi called as he ran.

"Sorry guys, I'm late! See you some other time!" he yelled over his shoulder. He ran as fast as his little legs would take him.

_'Damn these tiny legs! How are those kids so fast?' _Shinichi thought. He was already out of breath. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and crashed headfirst into someone. He went sprawling backward with a shout of surprise and looked up at who he'd bumped into.

"Oh, I'm sorry Inspector, I didn't see you there," He said rubbing the back of his head nervously. Inspector Megure smiled slightly and helped the kid up.

"Try to be more careful, Conan. You never know whose out on these streets. I'd better get going. Keep an eye out for suspicious characters," he advised before walking away. Conan headed off the other direction to the mall.

Sonoko tied up the back of the cerulean dress she'd made Ran try on. It went down to her knees and frilled out slightly. It was strapless and her hair covered her bare shoulders. She looked absolutely striking in it. It brought out her eyes perfectly.

"There! Perfect! Let's see that Shinichi try to run away after he sees you in this!" she said enthusiastically. Ran looked doubtfully at the mirror. She placed a hand on her stomach and straitened up as tall as she could, sucking in her stomach and sticking out her chest. She stopped and let her shoulders sag.

"I don't know, Sonoko. It doesn't really fit, I look huge in this!" she complained. Sonoko shook her head.

"Nuh-uh! You look great. I wouldn't le to you about this, Ran," she said seriously. Ran considered herself in the mirror then nodded.

"Okay then. I'll get it. Thanks, Sonoko," she said. Sonoko unzipped it and stepped out so Ran could change again.

When Ran appeared out of the dressing room again, she hung the dress over one arm and brought it up to the counter. It was a lot of money, but she had enough. Sonoko grabbed her arm.

"Now you need shoes!" she said zealously. Ran blinked.

"What time is it?" she asked her friend. Sonoko looked at her watch.

"It's almost four. Why?" she asked curiously.

"Oh no! I told Conan I'd meet him in the food court at three!" Ran panicked. She grabbed her bags and hurried out of the store. Sonoko rolled her eyes and followed her.

"Why do you always hang around with that little homeless kid anyway?" Sonoko asked. Ran scowled.

"He's not homeless. He's just staying with us until his parents get back from wherever they went," Ran explained for the millionth time. Sonoko sighed.

"Okay Ran. Whatever you say," she said rolling her eyes.

They searched the food court. He wasn't at the tables; he wasn't near one of the garbage cans. Ran was getting panicked.

_'Where could he be?'_ Ran asked herself. They circled around the place again before Sonoko got agitated.

"Where is the little dork?" she asked. Ran scowled. There was a security guard near the information booth. She rushed over to him.

"Excuse me, sir," she said. He looked down at her.

"How van I help you, miss?" he asked in a deep voice.

"I was wondering; have you seen a little seven year old boy around here? He's got blue eyes and dark hair, about this tall," she said motioning near her waist with one hand. "And he's got big glasses. His name's Conan Edogawa and he might be with a little girl and two other boys."

"Yeah, he's a real nerd," Sonoko added. Ran elbowed her.

"Sorry miss, I haven't. I can call him over the intercom if you'd like," he offered. Ran nodded. He picked up the phone and spoke into it, his voice echoing through the store.

"**Will a Conan Edogawa please meet his sister at the information booth? Conan Edogawa to the information booth please**," he said. Ran opened her mouth.

"Oh, I'm not –" she started but Sonoko interrupted.

"Thanks," she said. He nodded and Sonoko dragged Ran away. "Don't Ran, as long as we find the little goofball, it doesn't matter."

Conan stretched his arms and locked his fingers behind his head. He walked along the street towards the mall. He stopped when he heard a noise behind him. He turned around slowly and walked back towards the alley he'd just passed, letting his arms fall to his sides.

It was Naoko's alley. She was there, cowering on the ground. A man stood over her, a knife in his hand and an evil glint in his eyes. She wasn't hurt, but she was scared, that much was obvious. The man was speaking.

"And don't you ever think about doing that again, you understand?" he asked. She nodded, terrified.

_'What's this weirdo talking about?' _Shinichi wondered. He was pulled out of his musings when Naoko screamed. He looked over quickly. The man had brought the knife over his head.

"Hey, stop!" he yelled. The man looked over at him. He froze.

_'Stupid, stupid, stupid!'_ his mind raged. The man started for him. Shinichi cried out in shock and turned on his heel, running as fast as he could. But this guy was fast. He caught the back of Conan's neck and brought him up, looking him in the face. Conan struggled to get away but he was held strong.

"You little twerp, don't you know that you shouldn't meddle in other people's business?" he snarled. He peered into Conan's face and smirked.

"Let go of me!" Shinichi ordered. He squirmed as the man adjusted his grip to the front of his collar.

"I know who you are. You're that little detective kid that lives at Mouri's house. Well, I think you'll be coming with me," he sneered. Shinichi panicked. He was going to be kidnapped.

**To my loyal reviewers, I thank you. ::bow::**


	3. The Kidnap

**Naoko**

**Chapter Three: The Kidnap**

Shinichi was panicking, so he did the only thing he could think of. He sank his teeth into the guy's hand. The guy growled and dropped him, grasping is right hand, which was bleeding between his thumb and first finger. Conan landed hard, but stood up quickly and tried to run for it. The guy reached out and grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face him.

"You won't get away that easy," he snarled. He pulled a phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, still holding Shinichi's arm in a death grip.

"Let go!" Conan howled. The guy looked down and clamped a hand over Conan's mouth, dragging him into the shadows and out of sight. The guy dialed a number and waited.

"Taro? It's Jiro. Guess who I found," he said sickeningly. He paused. "Yeah, it's that kid from the Mouri house." Pause. "Yeah I got hi now. Come help me with him, he's a little fighter!" Long pause. "Right. I'll meet you here. Okay, bye." He hung up. He gazed down at the boy beside him.

"Too bad for you, kid. I'll get quite a ransom, I'm sure," he laughed. Conan's words were muffled by Jiro's large hand. A few minutes of struggling later, another man that man almost exactly alike to the first came by with a large sack. He looked slightly angry at the sight of them.

"Jiro, you moron! You know better than to just take a kid off the street! Who knows who could've been watching," he hissed.

"Look Taro, rag on me later. Just help me with him; the little runt won't stay still!" Jiro growled. Taro nodded and opened the sack, pulling out a length of rope.

"Hold him still," Taro muttered. Conan struggled against them still. No way would famous Detective Shinichi Kudou let himself be kidnapped by two goons without a fight. Jiro hit him over the head and he saw stars. He stopped struggling as a wave of dizziness overtook him.

Taro uncoiled the rope and tied his wrists behind his back. He then tied his ankles together. Conan shook his head, trying to get focus back.

_'No, I can't give up I can't...' _he thought desperately. He took a deep breath and yelled out as loud as he could. Jiro slammed his hand over his mouth again, cutting off his yell abruptly. A light clicked on in some of the apartments across the street.

"Damn it! We'll be caught!" Jiro murmured. Taro shook his head.

"No. No way am I going to jail," Taro snarled. He taped Conan's mouth shut. "Blindfold him too. Get rid of those glasses."

"What should I do with them?" Jiro asked, pulling a strip of cloth around Conan's eyes and tying it in the back. He held up the glasses.

"I don't care. Leave them, we have to get out of here," Taro ordered, opening the sack again. Jiro picked Conan up by his waist and dropped him into the sack. Shinichi grunted and groaned, struggling to untie the bonds.

Naoko watched it all take place. She watched as they tied up the boy who had been nice to her. She watched him be dropped into the sack and the top of the sack be tied tightly with string. The men stood up and started to leave. They were taking him away!

She ran out of her alley. She had to stop them. They wouldn't take away the only person who'd ever been nice to her. She wouldn't stand for it!

Naoko grabbed the bigger man's leg. He looked down and scoffed in disgust, kicking her away. She fell to the ground, but scrambled up quickly. She yanked on the man's leg as hard as she could.

"Get away, disgusting child! Away!" he snapped. She sank her teeth into his leg. He yelled out in pain and grasped her filthy hair. She made a small noise of pain and surprise, grabbing his hand and trying to pull her hair back.

"She'll get us caught!" Taro whispered. "Tie her up too! Quickly Jiro," he ordered. Jiro nodded and tied her wrists and ankles, then gagging and blindfolding her. They shoved her in the bag, re-closed it, and disappeared into the night.

---

Ran was more than concerned now. Frantic was an understatement. She was hysterical, absolutely beside her self with worry.

"Oh my god, Sonoko! He's probably dead! Or kidnapped! It's _seven_! He's _four_ hours late!" she cried. He hadn't come to the food court. He wasn't at home either. He wasn't at Shinichi's house or at Doctor Agasa's. Neither he nor Ai had seen him. She'd called Mitsuhiko's mother, Ayumi's mother and Genta's father, but they hadn't seen him since three thirty.

"Ran, he's probably fine," Sonoko said.

"Okay, I'm not waiting anymore," Ran stated. "I'm calling the police." She dialed the number and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello, I'd like to speak to Inspector Megure please," she said. There was a pause. "Hello Inspector, its Ran Mouri. I'm calling because I was supposed to meet Conan at three o'clock, but no one's seen him since three thirty. We've looked everywhere, we can't find him. I think he's been kidnapped," she said. She waited. "You saw him at four?" she asked. Pause. "Okay, what did he say?" she asked hopefully. "Oh. Will you help us find him?" she asked. "Yes sir. I'll meet you there. Okay. Bye," she said hanging up.

"So what's going on?" Kogoro asked.

"Inspector Megure wants us to meet him near the apartment building eight blocks down. He said that's where he saw Conan and maybe we'd find clues there," Ran explained, pulling on her jacket. Kogoro and Sonoko followed her out the door.

They all met up there, greeting each other like old friends in a grim situation.

"Now don't panic, Ran. We don't know he's been kidnapped. He could be lost, or at another friend's house that we don't know about," Inspector Megure told her. She nodded. They began looking around, searching for clues.

"Inspector! Inspector come quickly!" a policeman shouted from near an alley. He hurried over being tailed by Ran and Kogoro. Ran sobbed out loud when she saw what he'd found.

Conan's sneakers and cracked glasses were lying innocently at their feet. Ran burst into hysterical sobs. Sonoko rubbed her back and led her away.

"Be careful where you walk, keep on your toes," Megure muttered. They held their flashlights tipped towards the ground. The crouched over, looking for anything that could help.

"Megure, look at this," Kogoro said. He leaned over Kogoro's shoulder to see what it was. Two scarlet droplets of blood stained the sidewalk.

"Get some samples! Quickly!" Megure barked. They took samples of the blood and put the sneakers and glasses in plastic bags to be tested for fingerprints. The news crew arrived. Conan's picture would be all over the front page the next day.

---

Conan had felt someone fall on top of him. He couldn't tell who it was. He could smell dirt and grime, and stringy hair fell over his face. It was Naoko. He stirred and grunted, shifting his weight. She lay still. They were moving away from the spot.

After a long time of being bumped around, there was the sound of a door opening and closing again, then more walking and another door opening and closing. They were bumped around as the man trotted downstairs. The man turned the sack upside down when they reached the bottom. Conan and Naoko tumbled out of the sack, onto cold concrete floor. Conan groaned as his head hit the floor, hard. He felt the skin on his forehead split and blood spill onto the floor. His captor swore loudly, picking him up around the waist.

"Damn it! That'll never come out!" he grumbled, tossing Conan aside like a rag doll. He landed harder than before, hitting his head again, causing more blood to be spilt. The sound of his captors' voices faded and he fell unconscious.

---

Ran sat on the couch, lost in a sea of thoughts and memories.

'_Oh Shinichi, where are you?'_ she thought miserably. _'You could save Conan. If only you were here!'_ she began crying again. Kogoro took a long swig of his beer. He belched loudly and grunted.

"Oh dad, what if they don't find him?" she cried. Kogoro looked over at her. "What if he's dead?"

"The kid's smart. He'll be fine," Kogoro said, not quite sure who he was trying to convince, his daughter or himself.

"But he could already be dead! He could be lying in the gutter somewhere, alone and afraid, dying!" she sobbed. Kogoro put his arm around her and pulled her close. She sobbed into his shoulder.

'_Don't worry, Ran. I'll find him. I won't let you down again.' _Kogoro thought firmly.

---

When Conan regained consciousness, he noticed he was no longer on the concrete floor. He was laying flat on his back on a freezing table. His arms were at his side, his hands tied to the table, as well as his ankles. There was also a length of rope around his neck, making it harder to breath. He shivered. He wasn't gagged or blindfolded either.

He took the opportunity to look around. It was a dark stone room, presumably the basement of a house. The walls, floor, and ceiling were stone, dripping some fluid, making it colder. There was a staircase on the other side of the room; he could just see it in his peripheral vision. Next to the table he was tied to, was another table, on which Naoko was tied to. She was staring strait up at the ceiling unmoving.

"Naoko?" he choked. He coughed. _'Great.'_ He thought. _'Just what I need! A cold!'_

"Shhh..." she hushed quietly. "No you want them to hear you."

"Why not?" he whispered. She didn't answer. Loud thumping footsteps were headed down the stairs. Water splashed as he walked closer.

"Ah, I see you have finally decided to join us," the man said cruelly. Conan didn't recognize him. He shivered again. The man put a hand on Conan's stomach, which he just noticed was bare. His hand sent more shivers up his spine.

"Don't worry child. You won't be here for long. As long as your little friends pay for you, that is," he said rubbing Conan's stomach. He took his hand away and went over and gazed down at Naoko. She was still in her ratty dress, but Shinichi couldn't help but wonder why his shirt had been taken. Another man loomed in the shadows. He stepped out and gazed down at her as well.

"Dear little Naoko. How have you been my dear?" Jiro asked. She stayed still.

"Leave her, Jiro. We're writing the ransom note upstairs. Come," he beckoned, heading towards the stairs. Jiro reluctantly followed him out.

'_How do these guys know Naoko?' _Shinichi wondered. _'She seems to know a lot about them.'_ He lay still shivering and staring up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes.

'_Please, Ran. Come get me!'_

****

---

To my reviewers for chapters 1 and 2:

**Wing Omega: **Yes. This will be interesting.

**candy: **Why, thank you! I'll try to fix that.

**caseclosed lover:** I'm not mean! I updated didnt I?

**Katrina:** You dork! lol, just kidding! You're great, really.

**To anyone I missed: **Thanks a lot, guys! you're the best!


	4. The Ransom Note

**Naoko**

I dont own Case Closed! But I do own Naoko!

****

**Chapter Four: The Ransom Note**

Ran Mouri was awoken from her sleep as she heard the doorbell ring. It rang again. She flung off the blankets and ran out into the hall.

'_It's Conan! He's back, he was never kidnapped!' _she thought. She hurled open the door and peered out. No Conan. No one was there. Just a letter on the mat. She reached down and picked it up.

"Who is it Ran?" Kogoro called. She walked zombie-like into the living room.

"It's – It's a letter," she stuttered. Kogoro frowned and stood up. He took the letter from her and opened the envelope. He hesitantly unfolded the thick paper and set it on the table so they could both read it together. In various letters cut out of a magazine, it read:

**Mouri,**

**We have your boy. If you want him back unharmed, you will leave ten thousand at the tree in front of the white picket fence in the park. After, you are to leave immediately. Your boy shall be brought back to your house promptly the next day. If police are involved, the boy shall not return to you healthy and whole. We will be watching.**

It wasn't signed. Kogoro re-read it a few times before sitting up. Ran was sitting shell-shocked next to him. Kogoro rubbed his forehead.

"What do we do, dad?" Ran asked quietly. "We don't have that kind of money. But we have to get Conan back," she said tearfully.

"I know Ran. We'll get him back, no matter what. I promise," he said.

"Thank you dad. Should we call Inspector Megure?" she asked.

"Yes. I think we should. Go call him, tell him to come over," her father told her. She nodded. He went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. He sipped the scorching liquid, trying to clear his head.

"Dad," Ran said. He turned around. "They'll be here soon." Kogoro nodded.

A few minutes later, they arrived. Kogoro shook Inspector Megure's hand solemnly.

"Hello Kogoro. I was told there was a ransom note?" Magure said.

"Yes, here," Kogoro answered, pulling it out of his pocket. Magure studied the note for a while.

"I'll go check it for fingerprints. Don't worry, we'll keep you posted," Magure assured them. He left. Kogoro hugged Ran.

'_I won't let you down...'_

_---_

Shinichi had eventually fallen asleep. He awoke a little while later, and it was still freezing. Naoko was sleeping peacefully on the other table.

Loud footsteps echoed through the basement. Shinichi shivered and shuddered. The man he recognized as Taro walked into the cold space and up to the table he was bound to. He smiled sadistically.

"We sent the ransom note to your family," he said. Conan looked into his eyes. "But they called the police. We warned them what would happen if they did, but they didn't listen. You must be punished for their mistakes."

"W-What do y-you m-mean?" Conan shivered. The man grinned. He reached out of Shinichi's line of vision, but when he brought back whatever he'd grabbed, Shinichi's eyes widened and he began struggling against the ropes.

"Ah, I see you know what's going to happen," Taro said, raising the whip.

'_No!' _Shinichi thought _'He wouldn't!' _

But he did. He brought the whip down with a loud _CRACK!_ The sound echoed through the room. Shinichi clenched his jaw and his fists to keep from crying out. The man didn't seem satisfied at his defiance. He whipped Conan six more times, making rows on his stomach. Shinichi didn't scream once, this made Taro angry.

He touched one of the bleeding cuts on Shinichi's chest. He gasped in pain. Taro smiled insanely. He ran his fingers over each one of the cuts, making them sting horribly. He punched Conan in the stomach, hard. He cried out in pain. Taro patted Conan's face when he was done.

"Good boy," he said, almost proudly. He took a vial out of his pocket and filled it up with Conan's blood. He snapped the lid on and held it up to look at it. He smiled sadistically again "We'll see if this will convince them to tell the police to back off." He left.

Shinichi shuddered as he felt the blood trickle out of his whip marks. Naoko was staring at him with remorse in her eyes.

"Naoko sorry," she whispered. Conan blinked.

"It's not your fault," he groaned. She trembled.

"All Naoko fault," she whispered.

"Don't blame yourself," he ordered. "It doesn't matter."

She stayed silent. Shinichi wasn't surprised. She wasn't much of a talker. He squirmed. He was sure he'd get frostbite if he was kept down here, Naoko too.

'_I need you, Ran! Only this time, you have to save me...'_

---

A few days after the ransom note came; a small box arrived on the Mouri's doorstep. Kogoro called the Inspector before he opened it. Magure sat across from him. He took a deep breath and opened the box. Inside was a note, Conan's watch and a glass vial. He pulled out the note first. It said simply:

**We warned you.**

With shaking hands, Kogoro pulled out the vial. It was filled with thick red liquid. Kogoro knew it was blood, knew it was Conan's blood. He dropped it. It landed on the carpeted floor. He ran from the room and retched violently. Ran rubbed his back with shaking hands.

"Daddy, do you think he's okay?" she whispered.

"I don't know, Ran. I don't know," he whispered back, wiping his mouth. She looked distraught.

"Oh dad," she cried. He hugged his daughter close to him.

"It'll be okay Ran. I'll make it okay. Whoever hurt Conan will pay, I'll make sure of it," he whispered determinedly.

---

Conan shuddered and sobbed as they tortured him. They pressed the smoldering iron up against his skin, burning him. They had great pleasure watching him suffer. The smell of his own burning flesh made him want to vomit. He'd learned his third captor's name was Shiro.

Shiro, Taro, and Jiro were all in it together. Their names meant fourth born son, first born son, and second born son. Shinichi wondered in his free time who was the third born son. Shiro pressed the scorching hot iron on his stomach again. He wailed in agony as he applied pressure to it on his stomach. Tears leaked out of his eyes.

"_RAN!_" he screamed, "_HELP!_"

---

Ran shot up in bed. She could've sworn she'd heard Shinichi calling out to her. She wiped off her forehead and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Gently tiptoeing down the hall, she filled up a glass of water from the sink. She gulped it down quickly.

"Ran, what's the matter?" Kogoro asked sleepily from the doorway.

"Oh, sorry dad. It was just a nightmare," she said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kogoro asked.

"I just thought that I heard Shinichi yelling for me to help him. You don't think they got him too, do you?" she asked. Kogoro shook his head.

"I'm sure he's fine. It was just a nightmare," he assured his daughter. She nodded. It had been almost two weeks since Conan was kidnapped. They'd gathered the money and were going to put it at the tree the next day.

And they did. The next day at eight PM, they put the money in a metal box and closed the lid. Ran took the box to the designated tree and set the box down. She took a deep breath, turned around, and ran as fast as she could back home.

---

Shinichi opened his eyes as someone gently poked his face. Jiro stared back at him.

"Well hello there, child. I've come to tell you that your family has finally paid the money and you'll be going home tomorrow," he said pleasantly. Conan felt like crying in relief.

"But Naoko isn't going with you," he interrupted. Shinichi's labored breathing became harder.

"Yes. Our little niece is staying here," Jiro said, smiling triumphantly.

---

**Hey guys! What's up with you? I only got TWO reviews for chapter 3!! ::sulks:: Well, better two than none I suppose! **

**caseclosed lover - **I'm not mean! I'm not I'm not I'm not!

**Katrina (my BFF) - **Yeah, thanks Trina. You're still a dork though! Not human?? ...Who's not human? ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME SOMETHING?!?


	5. The Home

**Naoko**

Don't own Case Closed. (But I wish I did!)

** Chapter Five: The Home**

'_Niece!' _Shinichi thought wildly.

"Indeed. She is to stay here, in her rightful place," Shiro said.

"Tomorrow we'll return you home. Don't stay up too late," Taro snickered, rubbing Conan's chest. Conan took a deep shuddering breath. They left. Conan looked over at Naoko. She looked ashamed of herself.

"Naoko bad friend," she whispered. Conan shook his head.

"No, your not," he choked out. "Are they really your uncles?"

"Yes. Naoko's father name was... Saburo," she struggled out.

'_That's it! Third born son!' _Shinichi thought.

"Uncles...killed father. And mother and sister. Father, betray them," she whispered. Conan thought for a moment.

'_It doesn't make any sense. What had Saburo done that was bad enough for his own brothers to kill him?' _Shinichi wondered.

A little while later, Taro returned. He cut off the ropes with a pocket knife and lifted Conan into a sitting position by his hair. He cringed but didn't cry out. He was too weak to struggle as he was shoved into the same sack as before. He fell unconscious as Taro tied the top of the bag closed.

---

Kogoro woke up to the doorbell the next morning. He heard Ran hurrying towards the door. He stood up quickly and met her there.

"It's him! He's back!" Ran cried throwing open the door. A large brown sack was waiting on the welcome mat.

Ran and Kogoro knelt down. Kogoro unfastened the knots and opened the bag. Conan's arm flopped through, covered in blood. Kogoro opened the bag wider and pulled Conan out. He was covered in blood, and he was shivering. His lips were blue and his nose was red. His cheeks were flushed with fever and some of the cuts were infected.

"Ran, call an ambulance!" Kogoro ordered. "Tell them we're coming, there's no time to wait, I'm taking him," he said leaving no room for discussion. He picked up the small boy and cradled him against his chest. He ran as fast as he could to the car. He set the limp boy down in the backseat and wrapped him in a blanket. Not worrying about the speed limit, he hit the gas hard and took off down the street.

About five minutes from the hospital, a police car started following him. He didn't slow down. He sped up. The police car sped up as well.

'_Damn! This'll be one hell of a speeding ticket!'_

He skidded to a stop in front of the hospital. He pulled Conan out of the backseat and ran towards the building. The policeman stopped and followed him.

"Sir, you can't –" the man started, but Kogoro spun around and cut him off.

"Tow the damn car! See if I care!" he growled. Then he turned back round and saw two people with a gurney rushing to meet him.

"Kogoro Mouri?" asked one. He nodded. "Set him here. From what your daughter said, he'll have to go into surgery now." Kogoro nodded and set Conan down gently.

"Wait in the lobby, you'll need to fill out some forms," the second man said. They rushed Conan away, into the ER.

"Sir, you'll have to fill out these," a woman told him. Kogoro nodded silently and took the papers out of her hand. She patted him on the shoulder gently.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"It's nothing sir. And don't worry, your little boy will be okay," she assured him. He nodded gratefully and began to fill out the papers. A few minutes later, a breathless Ran flew into the hospital. He looked up from the forms and called her over.

"Dad! Where's Conan-kun?" she asked hurriedly. He took her hand and pulled her into the seat next to him.

"He's gone into surgery. I don't know when he'll be out, so just wait here with me, okay?" he said seriously. She nodded and sat next to him. After a few hours, a doctor came out if the ER.

"Are you the boy's family?" he asked, pulling down his face mask. Ra and Kogoro nodded.

"Yes, well, he lives with us," Kogoro answered.

"But he's like family!" Ran added.

"Okay," the doctor nodded. "I'm afraid the boy isn't in very good condition. He'll make it, but you'll need to help him. Most kids would've died after what he'd been through. You've got a very strong little boy there," he said smiling. Ran gave a watery smile.

"Can we see him?" she asked urgently. The doctor shifted.

"Well you can, but he's tired, probably already sleeping. Don't wake him, he needs rest. As long as you're quiet, I guess I have no problems with you seeing him," he said smiling slightly. "Room 204." He said before walking off.

Ran and Kogoro tore through the halls of the hospital. Ran was in the lead. She flung open the door of 204 as quietly as possible. She gasped at the sight of the little boy on the bed. His shirt was off, and his chest was wrapped in bandages. There was a piece of gauze taped over the right side of his forehead. His neck was wrapped too, as well as his wrists. His breathing was labored, and he was asleep. The blankets were pulled up to his chin.

"Oh Conan-kun," she whispered. She held one of his small hands as she sat in the chair to the right of his bed. Kogoro sat on the left. Ran rubbed her thumb over Conan's hand as he slept. His breathing became more even. His eyes fluttered open slightly. He blinked drowsily and looked over at her.

"R-an-neechan?" he choked out. She touched his face gently. He closed his eyes and turned his head, leaning in towards her tender touch.

"It's okay Conan-kun. Go back to sleep, everything will be okay," she whispered. He closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

---

When Shinichi woke up the next morning, he noticed that he wasn't on the table in the cold basement. He was in a stiff but comfortable bed, and everything smelt like disinfectant. He opened his eyes slightly and squinted to see who was holding his hand.

'_Ran...'_ he thought tiredly. He groaned. Ran looked down at him. There were tears in her eyes. She smiled when she saw he was awake.

"Oh, Conan-kun! Thank goodness you're okay," she whispered. He blinked. Shinichi had never felt as vulnerable as he did now. He looked around, keeping his head still.

He was in a hospital room. Everything was white, and it was bright with sunlight. The window was open, giving them a clear view of the sky. Kogoro wasn't in the room. He put his hands under his back and started to push himself up.

"No, Conan-kun, stay down. Your very weak right now, you'll have to stay in bed until you heal," she said. She gently pushed him back down. He sighed and turned his head to face her. She gently laid one hand on the side of his face. It was warm and soothing and Shinichi loved the feeling. He moaned softly.

"Ran-neechan?" he whispered.

"What's the matter Conan-kun? Are you in pain?" she asked.

"No," he whispered.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Don-Don't ever leave me, Ran-neechan," he whispered tearfully. Tears welled up in her eyes. She crawled up into the bed and cradled him in her lap.

"Don't worry Conan-kun. I'm not going anywhere," she murmured. He smiled softly.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He buried his face into her shirt and held onto her with one hand.

'_Don't worry Conan-kun. I'll never leave you again.' _Ran thought as she looked down at the boy. He was holding onto her shirt as though it was a lifeline. It was a heartbreaking sight.

A few days later, Inspector Megure came in to ask Conan questions. He settled himself to the left of the bed and Ran sat next to Conan, holding his hand.

"Now Conan-kun, I'm going to have to ask you some questions okay?" he started. Conan nodded.

"Okay, first question: Did you get a good look them?" Megure asked. Conan nodded.

"Yeah they were tall, about six feet each, and had blonde hair. Their names were Taro, Shiro, and Jiro," he answered. "And..." he stopped. He just remembered. Naoko!

"That's great, Conan-kun!" Megure said, writing on a notepad.

"Wait! We have to find them!" Conan said. He was panicking.

"We will, Conan. Don't worry," Ran soothed.

"No! They still have Naoko!" he said.

"Naoko?" Ran asked. "Who's Naoko?"

"She's my friend!" he said.

"Wait, is this Naoko the little homeless girl?" Kogoro asked.

"Yeah," Conan said. "But we can't leave her."

"Conan-kun she doesn't matter. She has no family, there's nothing we can do," Kogoro tried to say.

"But she helped me! She tried to help, anyway. And I don't know what they'll do to her!" he said.

"Okay, calm down, Conan-kun, don't you get yourself worked up, everything will be fine," Magure assured him. Conan nodded.

"Do you have any idea where you were? Where they took you?" Kogoro asked him.

"I think it was a basement," Shinichi said thoughtfully. "It was cold and dripping."

"Okay, that's all the info we need now, thanks for the help, Conan-kun," Magure said. Conan nodded and Ran laid him back down.

"Get rest now, Conan-kun. The doctor said you can go home tomorrow, as long as you rest today," she said. He smiled. Kogoro followed Magure out of the room. "Here, drink this," she ordered, giving him a cup. He downed the contents without question.

"Ran-neechan? I have to tell you something, something important," he said, lying down.

"What is it, Conan-kun?" she asked. She tucked the blankets around his shoulders.

"It's about Shinichi," he said feeling lightheaded. Ran stopped and looked down at him.

"Yes, Conan-kun?' she said carefully.

'_Now or never,' _Shinichi thought.

"He's – He's –" Conan started. Then his eyes went crossed as the medicine took affect and he fell asleep. Ran frowned.

---

The next day, Shinichi woke up early, eager to get home. Ran came in a while later with a nurse.

"Good morning Conan-kun!" she sang cheerfully. Shinichi grinned.

"Can I get out of here now?" he asked keenly. Ran laughed.

"Calm down, Conan-kun! The nurse wants to change your bandages first then we can go," she laughed. Conan was too eager to blush.

'_Get me out of this place! It's scarily clean!' _he thought frantically. _'All this white gives me a migraine!'_

After the nurse changed the bandage on his chest, she carefully peeled off the gauze onhis forehead. Like his whip marks, it had been stitched up. She carefully took the stitches out and covered it with a normal boxed band-aid.

"There, all set," she said smiling. Conan swung his legs over the side of the bed and got ready to jump down.

"Not so fast, little man," Ran grinned, holding his shoulders. "You're not walking yet," she said lifting him up onto her shoulders. He grinned and held her hands as she walked down the white corridors of the hospital. He was still in his pajamas, but he didn't even care as long as he got out of that damn hospital! There was a broad smile on his face as she stepped out into the sunlight. He breathed in deeply. Ran giggled.

"I love being outside Ran-neechan!" he said enthusiastically.

"Well Conan-kun, you can be outside all you want, but I want you to promise to stay with someone, okay?" she said seriously.

"I promise," he said.

"Good," she said. _'I won't let anyone hurt you again, Conan-kun. Ever.'_

"Look, Ran-neechan!" Conan said, pointing. Reporters were following them. Ran scowled.

"Uh oh. We have to get out of here," she said lifting him off her shoulders. She held him like a baby and started running. "We don't want to get mixed up with the press! They take everything out of context!"

She ran as hard as she could, until she was sure they weren't following them. She lifted him back up onto her shoulders.

"Wow, Ran-neechan! You run fast!" Shinichi was actually shocked.

"It's the karate," she said. She wasn't even out of breath! He was tired though. He leaned his head on the top of hers and let himself go limp.

"Hey Conan-kun," Ran said timidly.

"Yes Ran-neechan?" he asked.

"Yesterday you told me that you had something important to tell me about Shinichi. What was it?" Ran asked. Shinichi cringed inwardly. He could not tell her! Not now.

"Oh, it was just that..." he trailed off, thinking fast. "The day that I went to see Yaiba with my friends he called," he said. She looked up slightly.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He said that he wanted to talk to you. Said that he'd call as soon as he could. I don't remember the rest," he said.

"Oh," she said simply.

"Sorry," he said.

"No, it's alright, don't worry about it," she said pushing the subject aside.

"Ran-neechan?" Conan asked.

"What's wrong Conan-kun?" Ran asked.

"Would you be sad if Shinichi never came home?" he whispered.

"Maybe a little sad. But you would stay with me. I'm never letting you out of my sight again, just like I promised," she added.

"Thanks Ran-neechan," he said. His heart felt like it was torn in two. He wished that he wasn't hurting her so much. If only he could tell her...

**---**

**_Thanks for all your reviews you guys! _**

caseclosed lover - I'm NOT MEAN! here, just to prove I'm not mean, this chapter is for you!

PRIVATE - You _do_ know what a niece is, right?

Katrina - Whhhaaaaaaaaaaaaattt?!?! You make NO SENSE whatsoever

Electrobomb - I hate spam!

kristanite - ehehehe... ::sweatdrop::


	6. The NotSoNorm

**Naoko**

****

_Hiya folks! Thanks for the reviews so far! Now starts off the actual plot of the story. I don't care if this isn't how it worked or if this is impossible, so don't whine to me. This is how I want it! Ehehe... on with the story then!_

****

**Chapter Six: The Not-So-Norm**

Ran set Conan down on the couch.

"Now you stay put and I'll go get you a blanket," she said. He laid his head on the armrest of the couch and sighed.

_'I hate being on house arrest.' _He thought scowling. Ran returned with a thick blue blanket and wrapped his in it tightly. She cradled him in his lap and leaned back, flicking the television on. He snuggled up against her, resting his head on her chest. He fell asleep.

After three days of confinement in the house, Ran allowed Conan to go back to school. She packed up his backpack for him and slid it onto his shoulders.

"I want you to promise to be careful, okay Conan-kun?" she said seriously. He nodded sullenly.

"Yes Ran-neechan. I promise," he said obediently.

"Good. Stay in close with your friends and don't wander off by yourself. I'll pick you up after school, wait for me there, don't leave without me," she instructed. He nodded again.

"I won't Ran-neechan," he said.

"Okay," she said finally. She hugged him.

"Bye Ran-neechan," he said, hugging her back.

"Bye Conan-kun. Have fun," she said giving him a gentle push towards the building. He stepped foreword then stopped, looking back. Ran had never seen him so nervous to go to school. He'd walked in easily all by himself on the first day, but now he didn't even want to step on the driveway.

"Ran..." he trailed off.

"Its okay, Conan-kun," she whispered. "No one can hurt you in there."

_'I'm more worried for you Ran,' _he thought.

"I don't want to go," he said obstinately.

"I know Conan-kun. But you have to go to school," she said. "There's only a week left, anyway. Just one week, then I'll spend the whole summer with you."

"Promise Ran-neechan?" he asked.

"I promise. I'll never leave you alone again. I'll always be by your side," she said hugging him. He hugged her back and laid his head on her shoulder.

"Well...okay," he said finally. He shifted his backpack slightly and turned around. Taking a deep breath, he nodded slightly to himself and started up the driveway. As he entered the building he met up with Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko. They greeted him hesitantly, almost afraid.

"Hi, Conan-kun," Ayumi said blushing slightly.

"Hi Ayumi-san! Hi guys," he added.

"So... what's going on?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Nothing," Shinichi said slowly.

"Oh." He replied lightly.

"What?" Conan asked outright.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Genta asked quickly.

"Awkward," Conan muttered under his breath. They didn't say anything more.

---

After school, his friends were still acting strangely and didn't want to hang out in the park like they usually did. But Conan wasn't supposed to be alone, and Ran wasn't there to pick him up yet. So he waited, on the front steps of the simple school.

"Hey, kid," said a voice. He looked up. It was a local kid from his school, Kaito Kuroba. He gazed down innocently enough, but Conan was suspicious. As usual. He frowned.

"Hi," he said, fixing his eyes back on the ground.

"What's going on? Why would a little kid be at school when he was dismissed? Don't you kids like to go run around and make mischief in the park?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm supposed to wait for my friend here, but she's late," Conan said.

"You mean Ran?" Kaito asked.

"Yeah," Shinichi said, tracing an invisible image on the steps with his finger. He sighed and looked up as Kaito sat next to him.

"I can take you home if you want," he offered. Conan looked up.

"No thanks. I promised," he answered.

"If you're sure. I'd better be off then," he said, getting to his feet. Conan just nodded. Kaito walked off, leaving Conan with his thoughts.

_'That kid's weird. I don't know about him,' _he thought. _'He looks like me. I mean the Shinichi me, not little me. And so does Kaitou Kid. It's odd, they're so similar. Wait a second!'_ he thought, eyes widening. He straitened up, looking in the direction Kaito had walked off in. _'No, it can't be!' _

---

Ran was late. Half an hour late to be exact. Conan was anxious. Thirty one minutes late. Where was she? Did she get lost? Thirty two minutes. Where was she?

There was a crash from down the street. Screaming followed. He stood up quickly. Could Ran be there? A swooping figure in white landed in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere. It was Kaitou Kid. He backed up instinctively.

"Hey there," Kid said with a gleaming smile on his face. "What have you been up to Kudou?"

"Back off Kid. Just go!" he said nervously. "Go!"

"'Kay. But you're coming with me," he said, scooping the boy into his arms. Conan squirmed and struggled, but he couldn't get away. And Kaitou Kid ran off before anyone could stop him.

---

Kid sat the boy in a chair and sat across from him. He touched together his fingertips and stared at the boy in front of him.

"Ran's not going to be happy with you! She'll break you in half like a toothpick!" Conan said warningly.

"What's the matter, Kudou? Need your girlfriend to save you?" Kid mocked. Shinichi started to stand up, but Kid reached over and forced him back down, binding his wrists to the arms of the chair.

"Damn it Kid! Let me go!" he snarled, struggling to unbind his wrists.

"Such naughty words for such a young child," Kid teased, grinning evilly.

"You haven't heard 'naughty words' yet, Kid," he ground out through clenched teeth. Kid just smirked.

"Look, Kudou, I don't want you here either, so lets get on with this, shall we?" he said. Shinichi growled.

"Just untie me! You'll regret it if you don't! I may be small, but I'll make you regret it!" he hissed.

"I can help you get your friend back," Kid interrupted. Shinichi froze.

"What do you know about it?" he asked finally.

"I see I've finally got your attention," Kid sounded satisfied. "They're planning on killing her. Then using her blood for some dark magic to do some sort of ritual, I don't know much about it, but it's bad. I assure you."

"What do we do?" Conan asked.

"Ah, ah, ah, little detective, if you think I'm going to help you out for nothing, you may have to think twice," Kid smiled.

"What?" Shinichi gaped.

"It won't be bad. Not really bad, anyway. You'll live through it. At least, I think you will," he said sinisterly.

"What is it?" Shinichi asked after a moment. Kid smiled widely.

"Help me pull off the heist of the century. Show me how to clean up my tracks when I'm doing it. Tell me how to do it without getting caught," he said.

"No way!" Conan yelped.

"Come on, Kudou. You want your little friend to die?" Kid asked. "It'll be easy. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Do we have a deal?"

"I – I –," Shinichi stuttered. His thoughts whirled around his head. He had no idea what to do.

"I'm going to break you in half, Kid!" a new female voice interrupted. He spun around to look and Conan let out a whoop of triumph and relief. Ran's eye was twitching, there was a pulse on her forehead, and she looked absolutely furious. Kid looked calm however.

"Think about what I said, Conan," Kid smirked. And then, he disappeared. Shinichi slumped in the chair. Could Kid really help him? If they killed Naoko, would something terrible happen, just as Kid warned him? Would it be worth the guilt if he did help?

"Oh, Conan-kun!" Ran cried. She untied his wrists quickly and hugged him close.

"I'm fine, Ran-neechan," Shinichi said blushing.

"I'm so sorry! If I wasn't late this wouldn't have happened. What did he say to you?" she demanded suddenly.

"N – Nothing! He didn't say anything!" he lied. Ran frowned.

"I heard him say 'Think about what I said, Conan.' But where does he know you from? Conan-kun," she said looking him strait in the eye, "It is very important you tell me."

"He didn't say anything! He's just a bully anyway. It doesn't matter," Shinichi said.

"Conan-kun, please tell me, I just want to help," she pleaded.

"None of my friends like me anymore," he changed the subject. And thankfully, she followed along with it.

"Why do you say that Conan-kun?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. They don't want to talk to me," he fake sulked.

"They're probably just nervous. You were all over the news," Ran whispered shaking her head slightly.

"Will you stop being my friend too?" he asked innocently.

"Never, Conan-kun. Not ever in a million, billion, trillion years," she promised, pulling him into another hug.

"Thanks Ran-neechan," he whispered.

Kid's words were still echoing through his head later that night.

'_I can help you find your friend...' _

'_You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours...'_

'_They're planning on killing her...'_

'_Help me pull off the heist of the century...' _

He had to talk to Kid.

---

Conan opened the front door and shoved on his sneakers. He knew Ran would kill him for leaving, but this was important. This could either save or take away an innocent girl's life. So he crept out into the hall and ran towards the school.

Once there, he checked around. Perfect Kid, he hadn't left any clues. Conan scowled and parked himself on the steps, like he had earlier. After a few moments, Kid stepped out and stood in front of him.

"So. Are you going to help me?" he asked. Shinichi looked down at his hands.

"Y–Yes."

---

_Reviewers! _

**PRIVATE** - hehehehe....i love that word for some reason. wimpier. snicker

**Firestorm2004 - **hey! don't be cutting to conclusions now!

**Wing Omega - **That's the spirit!

**kristanite - **do you usually talk to yourself?


	7. The Kid

**Naoko**

_Hiya folks! Thanks for the reviews so far! Now starts off the actual plot of the story. I don't care if this isn't how it worked or if this is impossible, so don't whine to me. This is how I want it! Ehehe... on with the story then!_

**Chapter Seven: The Kid**

"I knew you'd cooperate. You're too sensitive Kudou. You shouldn't care whether she dies," Kid said.

"I'm not like you! I don't just wipe it off when an innocent girl gets killed!" he said angrily.

"Fine. Don't bite my head off," Kid said holding his hands up defensively. "I'll meet you here tomorrow night. Midnight. Don't be late, Kudou." He started to leave. Then he stopped and looked at Shinichi.

"What?" Shinichi snapped.

"Drink this," he said, handing Shinichi a vial. Kid watched expectantly and Shinichi downed it. He made a face and dropped the vial. Kid turned to go again.

"And just so you know, I don't like it when little kids die either." He was gone.

'_What have I done?' _Shinichi thought miserably.

Shinichi walked back into his bedroom at home and lay down. He felt sorry for himself. How could he help Kid? It was too unreal. Famous detective Shinichi Kudou just agreed to help also famous Kaito Kid. He'd go to jail and Ran would hate him.

'_This wouldn't be so hard if I didn't love her so much!' _he thought angrily, hitting his pillow. _'It's not fair...'_

---

He apparently fell asleep, for when he awoke the next morning he felt anything but refreshed. He felt sick to his stomach. Ran peered down at him.

"You've got a fever, Conan-kun," she whispered sounding concerned. He grunted.

"Yeah..." he muttered weakly. She placed a cool hand on the side of his face. He took in a deep, shaky breath and tilted his head to look at her through half-closed lids.

"You're staying home today," she said firmly. She tucked him in tightly and ruffled his hair gently.

"Ran..." he said weakly, not wanting her to leave. She paused.

"Don't worry, Conan-kun. I'm just going to call the school and tell them you're sick. I'll come right back, I promise."

'_I must have stressed myself sick,' _he thought wearily.

"Conan-kun, do you need anything?" Ran asked from the doorway. Shinichi was feeling a bit woozy and lightheaded, and couldn't seem to control his voice.

"Don't leave me, Ran," he implored. She stopped.

"I won't, Conan," she said. "I told you I wouldn't, remember?"

"Please," he begged, tears in his eyes. Ran looked taken aback and she looked pitying.

"Conan-kun..." she started. Tears fell down his flushed face.

"I'm scared," he whispered. She practically flew to his side. He hadn't shown so much emotion since...Ran couldn't even remember. He sniffled and sobbed, inching closer to her.

"I won't go," she said. She cradled him like a first born son, rocking him soothingly. He was scared.

"Never leave me, Ran," he pleaded.

"Shh...calm down, everything's okay," she soothed.

"I did a bad thing," he whispered.

"What?" she asked confused.

"I did –," his eyes slid closed and he passed out. She blinked. Shaking her head, she gently set him back down on the bed and pulled up a chair. Settling herself down in it, she watched her small friend sleep.

'_He reminds me so much of Shinichi...' _she thought sadly. She was lost in her thoughts for so long, she fell asleep.

---

Conan awoke again at eleven o'clock. He had one hour to meet Kid at the school. He still felt groggy and sick.

'_I can't meet Kid. I'm too sick...wait! That drink Kid gave me! I felt fine before then! Ugh! Damn him!' _he sat up shakily and wiped feverish sweat off his forehead. He pushed off the blankets and stood up, almost falling over in the process. Still in his pajamas, he stumbled out of the house. His feet were bare as he tripped and stumbled down the empty street. He finally made it to the school, tripping and falling flat on the grass.

He just laid there face down for a while, wondering how much time he had. He was wearing his watch, but he didn't have the strength to check. The grass was damp and cool on his feverish face. He was sweating profusely but he couldn't stop shivering. His glasses had fallen off and lay next to him. Everything was blurry and he couldn't see. The last thing he remembered was two gentle arms turning him over and lifting him up before he fell into blackness.

---

Kid dabbed a wet washcloth at the sick boy's forehead, wiping off dirt, grass and cold sweat. He didn't know that his little concoction would make him so sick. Currently, the small detective was lying on his bed, unconscious. It was probably his weaker immune system in his smaller body. Kid shrugged, taking away the cloth.

He unbuttoned the shrunken detective's pajama top and took it off his slight body. He took off his pants next, leaving him in his underwear. Quietly, he set the dirty clothes away to be washed and brought a fresh set, which he redressed him in. The boy was limp as he did this.

"Wake up Kudou. Come on," he prodded. Shinichi didn't move. Kid frowned. "Up, Kudou. This isn't nap time." But the boy wouldn't budge. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He would just have to wait. Then suddenly, the boy stirred.

"Ugh..." he groaned. He whimpered and shifted. Kid just blinked. After waiting, he cocked his head to the side, staring at the boy. Then suddenly, the boy raised himself on his hands and knees and retched violently onto the floor. Kid jumped and backed up, avoiding him. Conan dry heaved for a while, emptying the liquid out of his system thoroughly. He took a deep shuddering breath and collapsed, panting and crying. Kid was shocked to see the pained expression on his face.

"Finally decided to join us in the living world, Kudou?" he asked. Shinichi clenched his eyes shut and coughed weakly.

"What did you do to me?" he rasped weakly. Kid almost didn't hear.

"It was just a small sedative. You seemed to have taken it the wrong way. Too much stress in your system, Kudou. I'll do that to you," he said lightly.

"I can't breath," he grunted.

"It'll pass," Kid answered.

And after a few more minutes of intense pain and raspy breathing, it did pass. But Shinichi didn't think he could hold himself up if he tried. Kid seemed to read his thoughts and came over, propping him up on the pillows.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Shinichi asked quietly.

"I'm not doing this to you. I'm helping her," Kid answered.

"You can save her yourself. You said so," Shinichi whispered weakly, his vision blurring slightly.

"I never said that. I said I could help you. I can't do it without your help," Kid replied. "You're very important in this too. I can't do this alone."

"Why do you want to do this?" asked Shinichi.

"Because," Kid answered simply.

"That's not a very good reason," Shinichi laughed a little.

"Because Akoko is behind it. I'm sure she is. I'm going to put a stop to it once and for all," Kid said.

"Ak-oko?" Shinichi muttered.

"She does black magic. And the blood of your little friend is important to them. It could kill more than just her," Kid said.

"So what do I have to do?" Shinichi asked groggily.

"Just sleep. I'll fix everything with Ran tomorrow," Kid said lightly, sliding Conan down and covering him with a blanket.

"I don't want to sleep..." he said tiredly. But his efforts were in vain, and he slipped into a deep slumber.

---

Ran blinked dazedly. She was slouched over in her chair, feeling quite sore. She groaned and sat up strait, cracking her back loudly. She blinked when she noticed something off. Conan was gone! She stood up quickly and ripped the blankets off the bed. A paper fluttered to the ground and she stooped quickly to read it. It was in Conan's handwriting.

**Ran-neechan,**

**I got up earlier than you and let you sleep. Sorry. I'm staying at Dr. Agasa's house the rest of the week. I'll miss you!**

**Conan**

Ran frowned. She could have sworn he was too sick to stand yesterday, now he was up and about. Something didn't seem right about this.

---

"Hey, Kudou, nap time's over. Its time to get your little friend out of this mess," Kid said, shaking Shinichi awake. Shinichi opened his eyes wearily and glared.

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

"Time to sort out this thing. If we're going to save your friend we're doing it as soon as possible," Kid replied.

"Okay," Shinichi sighed. He sat up shakily and rolled his neck. He looked down at himself and noticed he was in unfamiliar pajamas.

"What?" Kid asked when Shinichi didn't follow.

"Wouldn't happen to have any other clothes, would you, Kid?" Shinichi asked.

"Yes. I went over to your place and took some of your stuff. You've got enough for a week. And by the way, call me Kaitou," he said.

"Right. Only if you call me Shinichi," he replied with a grin.

"Fine Ku – Shinichi. Let's go," Kaitou said. Shinichi slid off the bed and followed Kaitou. They went into the next room and sat at the table. Kid laid out a blueprint of one of the largest banks in Japan.

"So this is the one you want me to help you with?" Shinichi asked.

"Yes," Kaitou answered. "I've marked off where there are security guards, motion detectors, and alarms," Kaitou explained. "The guards are in blue, the alarms are in red, and the motion detectors are green."

"Looks easy enough," Shinichi muttered to himself. "So it looks like you just have to go along this way," he said running his finger down a hallway, "Then you left at the end, right, left, left, left, left, then a right," he muttered, following with his finger. "Then down these stairs and two more lefts. After that there are three flights of stairs and you've reached the basement.

"But there are motion detectors everywhere down there," he said with a frown. Kaitou looked over at where he was looking.

"Looks like there's a path there," he said pointing.

"Yes but there are guards everywhere," Conan pointed out the blue dots.

"Do you think that I could get around them?" Kid asked.

"I don't know. If you could make yourself small you might be able to slip around them," Conan said with a frown. Kaitou didn't reply. Conan looked up. Kaitou was staring at him expectantly. Conan blinked.

"Oh no! No way, Kaitou! Now way in hell!" he said loudly. Kid cocked an eyebrow.

"You agreed to help me," Kaitou reminded him.

"But I didn't agree to go in!" Shinichi panicked.

"You said you'd help! You never said you weren't going in," Kid protested.

"B – But – I jus – you nev – ugh!" he threw his hands up in annoyance.

"Excellent. So you'll slip past the guards and get the money out of the safe," Kaitou said.

"But I'll have to go alone! I won't be able to reach the safe! I'm short, remember?" Shinichi said irritably. Kaitou frowned thoughtfully.

"Isn't there some way you could turn back into yourself? Just for a little while?" Kid asked.

"Well...If I could get Heiji Hattori to get me some more then I could be Shinichi again for maybe...four hours," Conan thought aloud.

"Great. I'll go see Hattori then," Kid said getting up.

"Now?" Conan asked.

"Yeah, now! I want to get this done. Tomorrow," Kaitou said firmly. He left before Shinichi could protest.

---

**Hi! If you havent already guessed, you can expect to see Heiji in the next chapter! **

Wing Omega - Yeah...They're waiting for something alright.

PRIVATE - Hey! Thanks! but...The Black Organization's not in this story! ::cricket chirps:: Did I forget to mention that?

seraphic dragon - oooo! MYSTIFYING! i have to add that to my adjectives list! Thanks for the review!

kristinite - ...Hmmmmm...Abby, eh? Well tell Abby I said hi!


	8. The Heist

**Naoko**

_Hiya folks! Thanks for the reviews so far! Now starts off the actual plot of the story. I don't care if this isn't how it worked or if this is impossible, so don't whine to me. This is how I want it! Ehehe... on with the story then!_

**Chapter Eight: The Heist**

Heiji was lounging on the couch in his apartment when the window crashed in. he jumped to his feet and blinked when he saw who it was.

"Kid!" he exclaimed. "Get out!"

"Don't worry; I'm leaving as soon as possible. I just need some of whatever you gave Kudou to make him full-sized again, and then I'll be on my way," Kaitou Kid said shortly.

"What? How do you –?" he started but Kid brushed him off.

"I've known. Just give me some more. I need it," Kaitou said, searching through drawers.

"Why?" Heiji demanded.

"He's helping me with a little...project," Kid answered with a smirk.

"What?! Kudou would never help a criminal! He's a detective!" Heiji protested.

"I never said he was doing it willingly. Now give it to me or I'll blow you away," Kid said pulling a gun out of his pocket. He aimed it between Heiji's eyes and a gloved finger on the trigger. Heiji gulped and started to back away, but Kid followed. He hesitated, but then he gave up.

"It's in the cupboard," he bit out. Kid smiled and put the gun away. He stepped over to the cupboard and took out what Heiji told him.

"If this doesn't work, you and Kudou are in trouble," Kid threatened. Heiji stepped foreword determinedly.

"What are you going to do with him?" he asked.

"Kudou's just helping me out with a bit of...financial business," Kid said lightly. He stepped onto the window ledge.

"Wait –!" Heiji cried, running foreword. But Kid was already gone.

'_I'm screwed! Look out for yourself, Kudou.'_

_---_

Kid returned a little but later. Shinichi was lying in the bed again, staring up at the ceiling.

"What did you do?" Shinichi asked when Kid stepped through the door.

"Nothing," Kaitou replied innocently. Too innocently.

"Kaitou," he started.

"Okay, okay! A little threatening, a little gun pointing, nothing serious. I didn't hurt the guy!" he said hastily at Shinichi's horror-struck look. "He's fine. Worried about you, maybe. But fine."

"Okay. So it's tomorrow?" Shinichi asked nervously.

"Yes. It'll go down without a hitch."

---

Ran jumped as the door burst open, revealing an out-of-breath Heiji Hattori. She rushed over and cupped his face in her hands.

"What is it Heiji? Is something wrong?!" she asked.

"Yes! Kid was just at my house," he panted.

"Come sit down," she said soothingly, pulling him towards the couch. Kogoro looked up from the television.

"Whuz goin' on?" he slurred drunkenly. Ran pushed him over and shoved Heiji onto the sofa.

"What happened exactly, Heiji?" she asked seriously.

"He came to the house, just flew in through the window! Glass everywhere," he started. "Then he says he needs some stuff and starts trashing the place."

"Who?" Kogoro asked.

"Kaitou Kid!" Ran snapped. She turned to Heiji again. "Go on."

"Then he says that Kudou needs it. My medicine, I mean. You know the stuff I make. Well when I asked why he said: 'He's helping me with a little project.' And when I told him Kudou would never do that, he said 'I never said he was doing it willingly.' Then he pulls a gun and told me to give it to him or he'd blow me away. So I gave it to him. He said Kudou was helping him with financial business. I think he's forcing Kudou to rob a bank for him. Blackmailing him probably," Heiji explained.

"Sh – Shinichi?" Ran asked wide-eyed.

"That little showoff Ran likes? Oh great! That kid can do anything," Kogoro muttered.

"We have to help him, dad!" Ran shrieked. "Please! Who knows what Kid will do to him?!"

"Okay, okay. We'll call the Inspector and split up on the largest banks all over the place," Kogoro said.

"He sounded like it'd be recent. Like tomorrow probably," Heiji said.

"Then we'll get set up tonight and we'll wait. Don't worry, Ran. Everything will be fine. We'll get Kudou out of there, I promise," Kogoro stated. "Famous Detective Mouri is on the case!"

'_Scratch that last thought. Kudou's screwed too,' _Heiji thought with a sweatdrop.

---

The next day, Shinichi woke up earlier than normal. He was anxious and antsy. He didn't want to go through with this, but he had to. According to Kid, the fate of Japan was rested with him robbing the bank.

After the robbery, they were headed strait towards the house they were keeping Naoko in. he said the ritual would begin at eight, and they're heist would be set at five. They would make their way through the maze of security and then Conan would go alone to the safe, drink Heiji's whatever it was, turn back to Shinichi and get the money. While he was doing that, Kid would knock out the guards with Conan's watch and they would make their way out. Shinichi didn't want to knock anyone out, in case the bodies were found, but Kid insisted. So at 4:30 pm, they made their way into the bank.

They were dressed all in black, (even though it took A LOT of convincing on Conan's part to make Kid drop the white) and Kid was wearing a hat and sunglasses so he wouldn't be recognized. Kid motioned for Conan to follow him and they made their way through a door labeled **Security Personnel Only**. A man looked up from a desk and looked at them crossly.

"You can't be in here –," he started, but Kaitou silenced him with the watch dart. The man fell to the floor with a loud _thump_! They froze, waiting to see if anyone would check out the noise, but no one came. Shinichi sighed in relief.

"A little jumpy, Kudou?" Kid laughed quietly. They walked through another door and down a staircase, headed for the maze.

"You'd be jumpy too if you were forced into robbing a bank!" Shinichi snapped.

"Okay, okay!" Kaitou said holding his hands up in front of him. "Don't chew my head off." They'd reached the entrance of the maze.

"Okay. Here goes nothing," Shinichi took a deep breath and Kaitou opened the door.

---

Ran, Heiji and Kogoro sat in two chairs in the bank's lobby. They'd been there since it opened, at 7:30 am. Ran stared at the door, tapping her fingers on the wooden armrest. Heiji also stared at the door, a frown on his face. Kogoro had long dozed off.

"Where could they be? It's been hours!" Ran said exasperatedly.

"We aren't even sure they're coming to this bank," Heiji sighed. The door opened and closed with the tinkling of a bell. They paid no mind to the boy and the teen walking quickly past them.

"Well," she started, "I wish they would. I miss Shinichi so much!"

"Don't worry, Ran," Heiji consoled. "You'll see him again. Soon."

Kid followed Shinichi's lead as they went through the empty corridors of the maze. Shinichi expertly maneuvered them around, avoiding anything that could stop them.

"How much more is there?" Kid asked hushed. Conan looked up sharply.

"Shush!" he hissed. "Do you want them to hear you?"

"Sorry," Kaitou whispered. They started down the maze path again. They followed all Shinichi's expert directions and finally ended up in the last corridor near the vault. Shinichi licked his lips nervously. Kid put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Do your best Shinichi. I'll bail you out if I need to, but just try to sneak by. Remember to change into your clothes before you drink that stuff or you'll find yourself naked in a bank. And don't make any noise!" he whispered. Shinichi nodded numbly.

He tiptoed noiselessly down the hall. He saw Kid's pale face disappearing behind the wall. He gulped. He moved swiftly and silently down the hall. There was the sound of footsteps moving toward him. He pressed himself up against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Hey! What are you doing down here?" the guard yelled. Conan ran. He heard the guard pull up his walkie-talkie and yell for backup. He ran as fast as he could and rounded the corner. He heard a gasp and a clunk as the guard fell unconscious. He stripped his small clothes and changed into his normal ones. Then he pulled out the liquid and downed it in one. The pain began.

He groaned loudly and clutched the wall for support. He shoved his head up against the wall and yelped as his skin felt like it was stretching. After a few minutes, the pain was done and he sat up. His clothes fit perfectly. He was a little unbalanced on his feet, but he quickly got passed it.

"Hurry up, Kudou! They're coming!" Kid whispered loudly. Shinichi stood up dazedly and started turning the combination to the safe. It licked open loudly and he opened his bag. Kid came up behind him to help. They shoved money and jewels into their bags quickly.

"Let's go," Shinichi said hurriedly. Kid nodded and closed the safe, spinning the combination lock around. He shifted the backpack on his shoulder. They started running down the hall.

"Come on! We'll go this way, it's fastest!" Kid shouted over the alarm. Shinichi nodded and let Kid grab his arm and drag him away. They huffed and puffed after running for so long, but they didn't stop. Finally they got a very big surprise. Ran, Heiji and Kogoro stood directly in front of them.

"Shinichi!" Ran cried. Kid, looking very convincing, shoved Shinichi behind him before Ran could pull him into a hug.

"Don't!" he said loudly. "Get out of the way," he motioned for them to move. They stood firm.

"C'mon Kid. Let him go now," Kogoro tried to convince him. Shinichi was a little perturbed by Kid's attitude. He swallowed. Kid pulled a gun out of his pocket.

'_What!? Where'd that come from?!' _Shinichi thought wildly.

"Out of the way," Kid repeated. They hesitated but moved. Kid dragged Shinichi past them. Shinichi reached out and grabbed Ran's arm. Kid tugged at his arm, but Shinichi held tight. Ran held onto Shinichi.

"Let go of her, Kudou," Kid snarled. Shinichi stared into Ran's eyes. His hand went from her arm to the back of her neck and he pressed his lips against hers. He gently slid his tongue in her mouth and she let him. She responded gently, and then he pulled away abruptly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. Kid yanked him away and they fled down the hall.

---

Ran stood dumbstruck. She blinked repeatedly and shook her head. Then, she grinned ear to ear. Shinichi Kudou had kissed her. He'd put his tongue in her mouth, and she'd liked it. She'd liked it a lot. He did feel the same way about her after all.

"Come on, we have to follow them!" she said.

"Right," Heiji said, snapping out of his trance.

They followed the two out of the maze, always keeping them in sight. Kid dragged Shinichi along, keeping the gun out. They'd meet guards in the lobby for sure. All they had to do was wait and see what Kid would do next.

---

Shinichi allowed himself to be dragged along the passages, up the stairs, and into the reception area. Kid stopped when they reached the lobby. Guards were everywhere, some with guns. People watched avidly to see what was happening. Kid smiled widely. Shinichi felt like he'd be sick. People were gasping and whispering and pointing when they noticed who Kid was dragging along. Who Kid was currently aiming his gun at.

"Look! It's that detective, Shinichi Kudou!"

"I knew he was trouble..."

"Oh no!"

"What's going to happen?"

The whispering was growing louder. Shinichi tried to pull his arm back, but Kid held tight. He twisted Shinichi's arm behind his back, repositioning him in front, almost like a human shield. Shinichi winced. Had Kid gone crazy or was this just part of his plan? He sincerely hoped it was the latter one. Kid tightened his grip, twisting Shinichi's arm to breaking point. If Shinichi moved even a little, his arm bones would be shattered.

"Make way," he said, gently shoving Shinichi foreword. He took a step, cringing slightly.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," he muttered. He gasped and arched his back when Kid gently tightened his grip. It hurt. Tears welled up in Shinichi's eyes. Kid moved him foreword without a word. They left without protests of anyone. When they were far enough away, Kid released his arm. Shinichi gasped and clutched his upper arm tightly and moved away from Kid. Kaitou sighed.

"Sorry about that. I had to make it look like it was against your will. Unless you wanted to have your good reputation ruined," Kid said with a raised brow. Shinichi tried to shrug the feeling back into his arm.

"Fine. Let's just go stop those guys, it's already seven," Shinichi said. Kaitou led the way. They ran through the streets of Tokyo, passing and shoving people. They took notice of Ran, Heiji and a few policemen on their tail though.

"How much – farther –," Shinichi panted. He was really out of shape.

"Just a little," Kaitou gasped. "A few more – blocks."

They finally reached an old abandoned building. Shinichi opened his mouth to ask why they were there, but Kid held up a hand and shook his head. Shinichi nodded and followed Kaitou up the porch steps and to the front door. Kid looked around to make sure that no one was watching them, and then started to pry off the wooden boards from the door. With Shinichi's help, they eventually got all the boards off. Kid set them gently on the ground. He turned to Shinichi.

"You ready, Kudou?" he whispered. Shinichi took a deep breath.

"Yeah," he answered unwaveringly. Kid turned the doorknob and swung it open. It creaked loudly, setting off an eerie echo through the dark room.

"Just follow me," Kid whispered. Shinichi nodded and they tiptoed through the entrance hall. They moved down a dim hallway with candles glowing on the walls.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked. They turned around sharply and Shinichi recognized Jiro standing at the end of the hall. Kid smirked.

"Kudou, now!" he said, dropping his bag. Shinichi, ready as always, kicked the heavy bag and sent it flying, hitting Jiro right in the face. The man keeled over backwards and fell loudly to the ground. There were yells and loud footsteps headed for them and they ran, Kid snagging his bag on the way. Shinichi looked back to see if they were being followed, and when he looked back, Kid was gone.

"Kid? Where are you?" he whispered as loud as he could. "Hello? Where are you? Answer me!" A hand came out of nowhere and snapped tightly over his mouth, grabbing his pack away and throwing it to the side. The other arm snaked around his torso, keeping him in place. The tight hand over his mouth pulled his head back, exposing his neck as though it were going to be slit open. Breathing heavily through his nose, he kept still, wondering how he could have gotten himself caught so quickly.

"It was a nice try, but your game is up."

---

**Reviewers!**

joe bob anonymous - HEY! DID YOU NOT READ THE TOP OF THE PAGE!?!?

kristanite - uh....yeah.

PRIVATE - Too - Many - Questions - !

caseclosed lover - STOP. CALLING. ME. MEAN!


	9. The Secret

**Naoko**

_Hiya folks! Thanks for the reviews so far! Now starts off the actual plot of the story. I don't care if this isn't how it worked or if this is impossible, so don't whine to me. This is how I want it! Ehehe... on with the story then!_

****

**Chapter Nine: The Secret**

"Your games up, Kid. Now tell me what you did with Kudou," Kogoro hissed in his ear. Shinichi let out a muffled protest, twisting and squirming to get away.

'_I'm not Kid! I'm Shinichi!' _he thought desperately. Who knew that the old drunkard would be so strong? Kogoro moved slightly, unwrapping his arm and fiddling with something Shinichi couldn't see. There was a sharp jab in his back as Kogoro finally got his pistol out and aimed it. Kogoro moved his hand from Shinichi's mouth to around his neck.

"Answer," he demanded, pushing the pistol deeper into his back. Shinichi grunted and arched his back, wincing.

"Get off, Mouri! I am Kudou!" he snapped. Kogoro loosened his grip slightly.

"Prove it," Kogoro challenged.

"Lay off him, Mouri," Shinichi recognized as Heiji Hattori's voice. Kogoro reluctantly let him go. Shinichi rubbed his back and backed up a few steps.

"You shouldn't be here," he hissed, picking up his bag and putting it on his shoulder. "Get out, now!"

"What are you talking about Kudou?" Heiji asked. "Ran's worried sick."

"Just go, will you? I don't want you getting mixed into this. Especially not Ran," he said desperately. "Just leave, I'll be fine, but if you stay I don't know what they'll do to you. I have to find Kid, so as soon as I get out of here I'll contact you."

"Why do you need to find Kid, Kudou?" Kogoro demanded, taking a slow step foreword. Shinichi shifted uncomfortably.

"I can't tell you," he whispered, eyes on the ground.

"What is he making you do, Kudou? He made you rob that bank; I'm guessing that's why your bag is so heavy. You keep shifting your pack like it's uncomfortable. So why are you here? What else is he making you do?" Heiji asked.

"Just butt out, Hattori! This doesn't concern you," Shinichi said angrily.

"You're doing this willingly, aren't you? You're partners," Kogoro accused.

"Kudou, there you are," Kid's voice interrupted. Shinichi looked over his shoulder and saw Kid. He was frowning and was now in his usual white outfit.

"Kaitou Kid!" Kogoro said triumphantly, "You are under arrest! As soon as we find Megure," he added. Kid smirked.

"Come on Kudou, we got stuff to do," he said. He took hold of Shinichi's bag and started to pull him back. Shinichi followed obediently.

"So you are partners!" Kogoro exclaimed.

"Yeah right," Kid laughed. "I'd never partner with Kudou. Detectives are smart, but they're lousy at sneaking. Especially Kudou. Now come on, we have things to do," he tugged on Shinichi's bag.

"Kid, maybe I can handle it from now on," he suggested.

"No Kudou," Kid said sharply. "We're still on my side of the bargain here. Unless you want everyone to know your little secret, you'll come with me now and we'll get this done!"

"Right," Shinichi said. He turned and followed Kid.

"And you and your little police friends had better keep out of this. Nobody's supposed to be in here. The longer you're in here, the more likely it is that you're going to get killed," Kaitou said. "And don't follow us. I'll know if you do, and you'll regret it."

Heiji and Kogoro stood dumbstruck. Shinichi followed Kid down three corridors before he finally pulled him to a stop.

"Where is she? How big is this place?" he asked.

"Very big. We're underground if you haven't noticed. She's around here somewhere. They've already started the ritual. It gets done at midnight, that's when they slit her wrists and drain her blood. We have to get her before then. If they get her blood then Japan's gone. Doomed. Period. There's nothing we can do after she's dead," Kid explained.

"So she does black magic? I thought magic was fake!" Shinichi said.

"No it's real. And deadly," Kid added.

"What time is it?" Shinichi asked.

"Almost 9:30 pm, Kudou. We don't have a lot of time, especially since we're lost," Kaitou replied.

"What do you mean we're _lost_!?" Shinichi snapped.

"Hey, everyone makes mistakes Kudou," Kid said lightly.

"Fine. Let's just go," Shinichi said. He was beginning to feel lightheaded. He shook the feeling off and followed Kid through the hall.

---

Ran waited anxiously for Kogoro and Heiji to come back. Megure shifted next to her.

"I don't think they should have gone in alone. Who knows how many are in there? There could be hundreds. And if there are, how are a seventeen year old and a thirty-eight year old man with a hangover going to stop them?" he said aloud. The policemen stayed silent.

"And Shinichi's in there too," Ran said. "He can help."

"I don't know if it'd be much help," Megure sighed.

"But – Are you saying they could all be in danger?" she shrieked.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying Ran," Megure said.

"Then get in there and help them!" she cried.

"They were stupid enough to go in on their own, maybe they're smart enough to get themselves out on their own," Megure said simply.

"So they could die and you wouldn't even try to help?" she asked.

"They shouldn't have gone in alone," he replied. She let out a screech of rage.

"If you won't help them, I will!" she snapped. She yanked away the yellow police tape that held back the crowd of people and ran towards the house.

"Stop her!" Megure shouted. She dodged and kicked anyone that got in her way. She flung open the door and fled into the house. She ran through the dark halls and down a few flights of stairs. She had no idea where she was going.

"Shinichi?" she called. Her voice echoed through the room. "Shinichi are you there?" footsteps and the sounds of arguing voices floated through the air. She stepped lightly closer and listened to the voices.

"Wait Kid, shouldn't we go down to the lowest level? Would she be there?" asked a weak voice. She knew that voice...

"I don't know, maybe. We can try – hey, Kudou are you okay?" another voice asked. Shinichi! And Kaitou Kid!

"Shinichi!" she cried, turning the corner. One of his hands was propping himself up on the wall. He as hunched over, his right hand on his right knee. She could see sweat running down his face and that he was pale. Kid was next to him, leaning over slightly. He looked concerned. Shinichi looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Ran," he croaked. She dashed over to him.

"Shinichi are you all right?" she asked. She turned sharply to Kid. He stepped back, startled. "What did you do to him?!"

"I didn't do anything! I don't know what's wrong with him," he said honestly. Ran cupped Shinichi's pale face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. They were unfocussed; he didn't seem to be seeing her at all.

"Shinichi, can you here me?" she asked slowly. His eyes filled with pain and he pulled away sharply, falling over and landing hard on the ground. He scrambled away from her.

"Get away! Go!" he shouted. She looked hurt. How can he kiss her like that then shove her away?

"Shinichi, what –?" she started but he went into another spasm of pain and didn't seem to hear. He writhed on the ground, clenching his teeth. His head throbbed sharply and he groaned. Kid finally seemed to get it.

"Get! Go!" he shooed, shoving her down the other way. "Go! Go, go, go!"

"No! Shinichi!" she cried breaking away. But he wasn't there anymore. His clothes were there, smoking slightly. But his clothes were moving.

"Perfect," Kid muttered, shaking his head.

"What's going on?" Ran asked.

"I'm not the one to explain it to you," Kid said. He turned away. Ran took a hesitant step towards Shinichi's clothes. To her immense surprise, Conan looked up at her as she moved away some of the fabric.

"Conan-kun? What –?" then it clicked. "Shinichi!"

"Hi Ran," Conan said.

"You mean – you've been Shinichi this whole time?!" she asked loudly. Conan struggled to his feet, swamped in the overly large clothing.

"I'm sorry, Ran. I've been trying to tell you. But if I did, you'd be in danger. And I couldn't do that to you. They'd kill you if they found you," he said.

"Who? The people that made you mini?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you want to word it like that," Shinichi said.

"Can we go now? We've got an hour," Kid interrupted.

"Okay. Ran, get out of here. I don't want you to get hurt," he said seriously. She shook her head.

"No. I promised I'd never leave you, and I won't. I'm going to help," she said. Conan paused for a few moments, but eventually nodded.

"Fine. But if I tell you to hide or to run, then just do it. Okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

Conan didn't change into his smaller clothes; he'd forgotten them at the bank. So they headed off again. Ran refused to leave, no matter what Shinichi said to her. Kid finally told them off for being loud and annoying. So they walked silently own the halls, looking for any sign that they were getting close. And then, all of the sudden, there they were.

It was a large, stone room and it was incredibly bare. They stood in the middle of it, looking around. A long, stone table stood in the direct center, with shackles hanging off, ready to restrain anyone that needed it. The door they came through burst open. Kid grabbed Ran's wrist and dragged her over to the shadows. Conan panicked and scrambled off to the opposite side of the room. People started flooding in. it was like a cult, all the people were in long black robes, hoods up covering their faces. Shinichi pressed himself up against the wall, hidden in the shadows, watching and listening. The last person to come into the room was half carrying half dragging a struggling Naoko into the room.

Conan felt something hard and smooth in his pocket. He looked over to where Ran and Kaitou were and saw a grin on his face. Conan licked his lips nervously and slowly reached into his pocket. He brought out a glass vial and looked down slightly at it. It was more of Heiji's whatever-it-was. He looked up at Kaitou with astonishment. He uncorked it slowly and downed it quickly.

Miraculously, he got through it without making noise. He wiped cold sweat off his brow and looked back at the group of people. They were gathered around the table. Naoko was chained down to it, looking frightened. He watched, breathing heavily and sweating. He glanced over to where Ran and Kaitou were, but they didn't see him. Suddenly, Shinichi was taken by absolute surprise.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

---

PRIVATE - If people don't stop asking me thatquestion i'm gonna flip! it's at the top of the page!

**_I WANT EVERYONE READING THIS T_****_O READ THE TOP OF THE PAGE, NOW! It's been on every chapter since chapter 6, so stop asking me about it! it's in italics! you can't miss it!_**

Wing Omega - Nobody. Thanks for the review anyway!


	10. The Deaths

**Naoko**

**_Hi readers. Right now, i've been thinking a lot about how people are telling me how Out of Character all the characters are. and i have to say, if i get anymore of those, i think i'm just going to erase this stroy. i mean, if you guys dont like how they're out of character, i'll delete the story, but if i do, you'll miss the super surprise ending i have all planned out...::grins mischieviously::_**

**Chapter Ten: The Deaths**

A knife was pressed flat up against his throat. His arms were being held tightly behind his back.

"A little detective spying on us?" his captor breathed. All the cloaked people were watching. Their leader walked up.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kudou Shinichi. What are you doing here?" the woman asked. Shinichi guessed it was Akako. "Let him speak, Taro." The knife was reluctantly removed, but the grip on his wrists tightened.

"Let the girl go," he said. She shook her head, laughing slightly.

"The girl's blood is important. It will destroy Japan, and wherever else we want it to. And now that you're here, you can watch," she grinned sadistically. "And after you watch, you can go next."

---

Ran was trying to get over to Shinichi, but Kid was holding her back. He spun her around and looked her in the eyes.

"Do you want to get killed?" he hissed.

"No but I don't want Shinichi to die!" she whispered.

"We can save him, but you have to trust me," he spoke quietly. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. He grabbed onto her arm but was interrupted when the door burst open. Kogoro and Heiji in the lead, a police force started to pile into the room, aiming their guns. The cult seemed shocked. Taro replaced the knife at Shinichi's throat.

"Drop the knife and no one gets hurt," Megure ordered loudly. Shinichi knew Taro was grinning as he pressed it harder against his neck. He choked. Heiji put his finger on the trigger of his revolver. Shinichi blinked hard, trying not to cry out. Taro turned the knife slightly and pressed the blade into his throat, cutting a thin line. Blood welled up immediately.

"How about you drop your guns and the kid can keep his head," Taro growled. Shinichi couldn't suppress a small whimper as he felt the blood trickling down his neck. Kogoro licked his lips nervously. They were outnumbered, and they had a hostage. This wouldn't be easy.

"Okay, just let him go and we'll leave," Kogoro said calmly. Akako laughed hideously.

"No, no we promised that little Kudou could watch. And he's so excited to have his turn, aren't you?" she asked smiling at him from under her hood. He gaped at her breathlessly.

"Come on, let him go," Heiji demanded. Akako smirked.

"Kill them," she said, waving her hand lazily.

It was complete chaos. Guns were going off and knives were stabbing. People were bleeding and some were dead. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaitou jump in to help. Ran stood still, watching. Taro started to drag Shinichi away. He stopped suddenly, dropping Shinichi slowly. He scrambled away on his hands and knees. He looked back and saw Taro lying on the ground, dead. Kogoro stood over him, his gun smoking. He caught Shinichi's eye and handed him a revolver.

"You're going to need this," he said. Shinichi took it and nodded.

"Thank you," he whispered. Kogoro nodded.

"If Ran really loves you, then I won't let you die."

Shinichi wrenched the chains off of Naoko as she stilled in fear. When he finally got her free, she was too scared to move. So he picked her up and ran as fast as he could out of the room, grabbing Ran's wrist and pulling her along as he went.

"Shinichi stop!" Ran huffed as they went down another long corridor.

"Can't stop – twenty minutes – they can still catch us –," he gasped. Naoko buried her face in his chest.

"They're coming," she whispered. He skidded to a halt and looked down at her. Then, out of nowhere, a group of cloaked figures appeared at the end of the hall. Shinichi turned quickly and saw they were surrounded on both sides. Shinichi let go of Ran's arm and pulled out his gun. He pointed it at the group in front of him and fired repeatedly, bringing them all down, the sound echoing down the halls. He turned quickly and aimed at the rest of them. They were down in a matter of seconds as well. And Shinichi was out of bullets. He pocketed the gun again.

"They've bound to have heard that. We should go," he stated. Ran nodded dumbly and followed him. He shifted Naoko slightly and she wrapped her arms around his neck, sniffling.

"We have to find an exit," Ran said.

"Well this house is a maze! Do you have a map?" he asked sarcastically. She blushed.

"Well sorry!" she cried.

"Look, just drop it and follow me," he said. He grabbed her wrist again and started to drag her off. She tripped and fell, and a moment later a gunshot was heard. The bullet zoomed just over Ran's head and imbedded itself in Shinichi's stomach, thankfully not deep enough to hit anything vital, but deep enough.

He dropped Naoko as it hit and cried out in pain and shock. He let out choked half sobs as he sank to his knees, clutching the wound. He lay on his side, gasping in pain. Ran was staring at him in shock and horror as she saw the blood seep out of the gushing wound.

"Shinichi!" she cried, stumbling to her feet and kneeling next to him. Tears leaked down his face. Naoko was frozen in place, staring at the shooter. Saburo lowered his gun.

"Daddy?" she whispered in a wavering voice.

"Hello, Naoko," he said smirking. "No, I'm not dead."

"But – But –," she stuttered.

"I'm not dead. You have to die first. It will be midnight in exactly five minutes, and you're going to die then." He said.

"Mommy?" she whispered.

"No. She is dead. But you'll see her soon. As well as Kudou's friends. The Detective of the West, the Phantom Thief, and that stupid, lazy Private detective Mouri!" he was crazy. Ran stood up in blind rage and lunged at him. He raised the gun too late and was knocked to the ground. She kicked and punched the psychotic man with all her might. He finally lay unmoving on the ground. She leapt up and went back over to where Shinichi was lying, pale and clammy. His eyes were slightly unfocussed and clouded over in pain.

"Shinichi," she whispered. "Shinichi stay awake. I'll get you out of here." She lifted him up as best as she could and slung one of his arms over her shoulder and wrapped her arm around his hips, keeping him steady. He stumbled and almost fell, but she caught him and dragged him back to his feet. She couldn't do it alone. She broke down sobbing, falling to her knees, Shinichi landing next to her with a dull thud.

"No cry," Naoko whispered.

"I can't do it!" Ran shrieked hysterically. "Dad's dead and Heiji and Kid! And now Shinichi's going to die! I'll be all alone! What do I do?!"

"Naoko help," the little girl insisted.

"What can you do!?" Ran exploded. "You're just a kid!"

"Someone looking for me?" a voice interrupted curiously. Ran looked over, shocked. Kid blinked.

"Uh –?" she gaped.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" he asked nervously.

"He – he said you were dead!" Ran stuttered, pointing at the unconscious man.

"Dead? That fool wont die," Heiji grumbled, "Believe me, I've tried."

"Heiji!" she cried. "Help me, please!" Heiji blinked and looked down. Shinichi's eyes were now crossed and his face pale as paper. His mouth hung open slightly and he took short gasping breaths. His hair fell limply across his forehead, soaked with cold sweat.

"Whoa!" Kid and Heiji exclaimed at the same time.

Three minutes to midnight.

Heiji and Kid supported Shinichi and started towards the exit as quickly as possible, Ran on their heels. Naoko started to follow but then stopped. Saburo grabbed onto her arm before she could follow them anymore.

"Die!" he cried, lifting his knife. She shrieked. Ran kicked him in the head and he keeled over. Naoko bit her lip. Sneaking out of the shadows, Shiro hit Heiji in the back of the head with the hilt of his knife and punched Kid in the stomach. They both fell, Heiji bleeding from the back of the head and Kid clutching his stomach. Shinichi fell limply and lay motionless on the ground, barely conscious. Ran was kneeling down next to Naoko. Shiro pulled out a revolver that was spattered with blood.

Two minutes.

'_Ran...!' _Shinichi thought desperately. He flung out his hands and grabbed Shiro's legs. Shiro looked down in disgust and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to let go and curl into a ball, whimpering pitifully.

"Shinichi!" Ran cried. With the last bit of his strength, Shinichi grabbed Saburo's dropped knife and stabbed it into the back of Shiro's leg.

One minute.

Shiro cried out and fell to the ground, dropping the gun with a clatter. He groaned and clenched his teeth angrily.

"Fools! If the girl doesn't die, Japan will be destroyed!"

Fifty seconds.

"I won't let you kill her!" Ran cried, kicking him in the face. He passed out. Naoko looked over and grabbed the fallen revolver.

Thirty-eight seconds. The building began to shake.

"Ran! Get Kid and Heiji and Naoko out! Forget about me!" he said hoarsely. "Please, I can find my way out. I'll kill myself if you get hurt though," he begged. She nodded and grabbed Kid and Heiji's arms, dragging them. Naoko didn't follow.

Twenty seconds.

The walls were caving in. Naoko looked at Shinichi, who was struggling to get to his feet. She held out the gun to him. He looked at her curiously.

"Kill Naoko!" she said. "Please!"

Fifteen seconds.

"No," he whispered croakily.

"Yes! Only way," she said. "I see Mama again!" he looked into her eyes, filled with hope. He took the gun from her hand.

Five.

He took aim at her hesitantly. She smiled and nodded encouragingly.

Four.

He put his finger on the trigger.

Three.

She closed her eyes in complete calmness and spread her arms.

Two.

He clenched his eyes shut and pulled the trigger.

One.

A gunshot, a cry of pain, and the crunch of concrete.

Midnight.

The house completely caved in.

---

**Don't you hate how mean I am?**

_Wing Omega_ - Well...okay. I forgive you.

_PRIVATE_ - LOL

_Firestorm2004_ - thanks but i'm mad at you.


	11. The Search

**Naoko**

_Hey! I see I have some things to explain about last chapter..._

_Okay first, Naoko's blood was fated to destroy JAPAN on that night, and the cult was going to use the blood to destroy the rest of the world, but they ended up just destroying the house._

_Second, Akako was TOTALLY out of character in that chapter, i know. but i needed a villian, and she was right there so - yeah. _

_On with the story!_

**Chapter Eleven: The Search**

Ran screamed as the walls caved in and the roof fell. Everyone had gotten out safely with minor injuries. Except Shinichi and Naoko. They were in the ruined house.

"SHINICHI!" she screeched, running toward the house again. Kogoro grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back.

"No Ran," he said sadly. "It's too late."

"IT'S NOT TOO LATE!" she screamed. "LET GO!"

"Send in a search crew!" Megure ordered over the screaming crowd. "There's a possibility he might still be alive."

The police and firefighters that had been called started inching through the rubble, pulling up mounds of brick and concrete, searching for the lost detective. Ran was hysterically throwing rubble over her shoulders, crying and breaking down. She fell to her knees and screamed when she couldn't find him. Heiji consoled her, pulling her close and rubbing her back as she cried into his chest. His head throbbed and the dried blood on the back of his neck flaked off. His world was spinning slowly. Kid put a hand on his back and looked into his eyes concerned.

"You should see a doctor, Hattori. You're head's pretty bad," he said gently. Heiji nodded and slid quietly into unconsciousness, falling backwards and laying in the dust and debris limply. Ran's shoulders shook with sobs. Kid bent down and lifted up Heiji, bringing him over to the nearest ambulance. When he returned, Ran was digging through the wreckage again.

"Ran," he said soothingly, "Come on. Let the police handle this."

"Look!" she said, a crazy smile on her face, holding up Conan's watch. "It's Shinichi's. That means he's here!"

"Ran, he dropped it in the lower basement, remember? We were on the third floor when he was shot. He's probably dead, you have to accept that," he said gently.

"No! No, no, no! He can't die! See, it's his watch," she said grinning madly.

"Ran!" Kid said harshly. Her smile faltered and her face crumpled up. Kid instantly felt bad. He removed his eyepiece and rubbed his soot-covered face.

"He loved me! He said he did," she cried. "And he kissed me. But now we can never grow old together! We can't go to the same college and get married and have a little boy named Conan and –" she stopped abruptly and shrieked out a sob. "CONAN!" Kid sighed, wiping tears out of his own eyes.

"It'll be okay," he said. "It will. We'll find him, and you can have your marriage and your son named Conan too."

"You think so?" she asked sniffling.

"Sure I do. If he loves you, he'll hang in there," he said hoping it was true. She gave a watery smile.

"Thanks Kaitou," she whispered. He nodded and led her to an ambulance.

"You're stressed. You should get some sleep; I'll keep looking for him for you. We'll find him," he promised, settling her down in one of the cars. He turned and went back to the search.

---

Shinichi's eyes snapped open suddenly. He was being crushed. His gunshot wound was throbbing and he couldn't move. He was barely aware of the gun still clutched in his hand. There was a thick layer of dried blood on the front of his neck from the knife and it was hard to breathe.

"Ran," he whispered. It made barely any sound. His eyes fluttered closed and he fell unconscious.

---

Three days later, they had pulled up the corpses of most of the strange cult. Some of them were too mangled to tell apart from appearance, but dental records matched. Ran had been sitting in her hospital bed, staring out the window since the incident. Kaitou and Heiji had visited her, but she didn't seem to hear them speaking. She felt completely and utterly depressed.

Kogoro was sitting at a bar in Tokyo, drinking away his feelings. Ran was depressed, so he was depressed. He dropped his cup, sending it hurtling towards the ground. It shattered. He let his head fall heavily onto the bar top. His shoulders slumped and he looked entirely defeated.

"Come on, Mouri, buck up," Megure said, nudging him.

"Can't," he grumbled. He looked up, face slightly green.

"We can still find Kudou, you dolt! Don't beat yourself up," he said.

"Ran won't talk to me. The doctor said she might not recover from depression," Kogoro sulked.

"I know it's hard, but you can't give up. If you give up, she's going to give up as well," Megure said firmly. Kogoro nodded.

"When's the next search?" he asked.

"Well it's about noon and you've pretty much cleared out the place. So let's go now," Megure said standing up. Kogoro followed suit, stumbling after him, heading for the site. It was still roped off. They ducked under the ropes and waited. Megure nodded and started off to the right and Kogoro went to the left.

A few hours later, Kogoro wiped off beads of sweat from his forehead. He groaned and sat up, rubbing the small of his back. He'd had no luck.

"Come on, Mouri. Lets go, you need rest," Megure said. Kogoro shook his head.

"Can't. Promised Ran," he grunted. He got back to moving around the concrete pieces. Suddenly, he touched something cold and sticky. He brought his hand back, staring at his bloody fingers.

"What's that?" Megure asked, kneeling down. He moved a large piece of wood away and saw what Kogoro had touched. It was a girl, Conan's age, dead with a gunshot wound to the heart. Megure recognized her as the girl who lived in the alleyway across from where Conan was kidnapped. Kid appeared out of nowhere and leaned over to look.

"Hey! It's that girl Shinichi was with before the house blew," he said.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Kogoro glared. Kaitou shrugged.

"Seriously, though! This is the girl!" he insisted.

"So if Kudou was with her before the house fell," Megure said slowly.

"That means Kudou should be around here!" Kogoro said, realization hitting him like a smack in the face. He jumped up, frantically getting off to the side.

"Heiji!" Kid called. Heiji looked up from a few feet away. "I think we found him!" Heiji darted over quickly.

"Go to the hospital," he ordered to Kogoro and Megure. "We'll dig him up and bring him. Reassure Ran, will you?"

"Right," they agreed. "Get an ambulance over here!" Kogoro shouted. Medics came running. Some moved Naoko's body and others waited, getting an ambulance car ready. Kid and Hattori started pulling up the pieces of rubble, tossing them aside as if they didn't weigh a thing. Finally, Heiji cried out in triumph.

"Kid!" he said loudly, tugging at a large piece of heavy cement. "I got him!" Kaitou stood up too and helped pull off the cement. With combined effort, they finally pulled it away. They winced at the site of their friend lying on the ground.

---

Shinichi's eyes blinked open as something shifted next to him. His raspy breath was muffled by dust blown in his face. He coughed weakly. There was silence for a moment, then there was rapid movement and Naoko was pulled away.

_'What's going on?' _he wondered dazedly.

Something was being lifted off of his legs. Wonderful relief spread through his lower body, followed by searing pain. He groaned silently and fell limp, eyes drifting half closed. Something was moved off of his head and he barely noticed. After a few moments, a gentle hand touched the side of his face.

"Is he dead?" a voice echoed above him. He was being turned over.

"He's breathing!"

"Get him on the gurney!"

"Come on, come on!"

Voices were shouting all around him, making him dizzy. He was lifted and set down on something hard and strapped to it. Then he was moving. After a while the shouting died down and there was a slam of a car door. An air mask was placed over his mouth and he groaned in relief, taking in deep breaths. Heiji's and Kaitou's faces drifted in and out of his vision. Everything was blurry.

"–'re going to be fine –"

"– to the hospital –"

He drifted into swirling blackness.

---

Heiji and Kid sat in the back of the ambulance with Shinichi as the ambulance sped off towards the hospital. They were trying to keep him awake, but inevitably, his eyes rolled up in the back of his head and he fell unconscious. Kaitou looked over at Heiji.

"You think he'll be okay?" he asked.

"I don't know. He was shot, cut, and crushed by a house. He might make it, but I don't know. He looks pretty bad," he said. "Then again, I'm no doctor."

"Right," Kaitou said. They spent the rest of the ride in silence, listening to the cars speeding out of the way of the speeding emergency vehicle. Listening to the steady beat of Shinichi's heart on the monitor. Listening to the steady drip of rain just starting outside. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they arrived.

The medics took Shinichi out of the car. They rushed him into the hospital and straight into the ER and into surgery. Grubby and stinking, they were shoved into the restroom with two pairs of scrubs to get clean. After they changed and got cleaned up, they headed towards Ran's room. When they arrived, Kogoro was in there and Ran's eyes were bright.

"Did you really find him?" she asked as they entered.

"They took him into surgery. We won't know anything until tomorrow probably," Heiji said. "Just go to sleep."

The next day, Ran waited anxiously for the news on Shinichi's health. She nervously waited as a doctor came in to tell her the news.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"It – It doesn't look good," she started hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Ran asked.

"He had three broken ribs, an infected gunshot wound to the stomach, and a broken left femur," the doctor said slowly. Ran blinked.

"And?"

"And," the doctor licked her lips nervously. "He's gone into a coma."

---

**Wing Omega and Firestorm2004** - Read top of page


	12. The Desperation

**Naoko**

**Chapter Twelve: The Desperation**

Ran blinked and the eager smile slid off her face.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," the doctor shook her head. "But there's only a ten percent chance that he'll make it."

"You're not serious," she said. "You're joking, right? Kaitou put you up to this, didn't he?"

"No, I'm sorry. You can see him if you want," she offered. Ran sprang out of bed. The doctor led her out into the hall and to the elevator. They rode up to the third floor and into the first room to the left.

Ran scurried inside and was shocked at what she saw. Shinichi was lying on the bed, eyes closed and tubes coming out from everywhere she could see. She hesitantly stepped closer and called his name quietly. She called for him louder, then louder still. He didn't even stir.

"Is he going to die?" she whispered.

"It's likely," The doctor sighed. "He was badly hurt and unless he's got the will to stay alive, he will die." Ran sat down in the vacant chair next to the bed. She stared at Shinichi's calm face as he lay inert on the bed. She gently took his hand and stroked it with her thumb. He didn't move. She burst into tears.

"Oh Shinichi!" she cried, burying her face in his chest. She cried herself to sleep.

---

Heiji tiredly closed the door to his apartment, tossing his coat on the floor and flicking the light switch. He rubbed his eyes and groaned. He'd been in the hospital with Ran at Shinichi's side for two weeks. He'd barely had time to go home. Kid and Heiji had been taking turns watching over Ran, who was feeling a bit suicidal and could not be trusted on her own. He clicked on the coffee machine and the soft _drip_ of the coffee maker started up. Pretty soon, his apartment was warmed up and smelling of Hazelnut flavored coffee.

He poured himself a cup and breathed in the sweet scent, smiling jadedly and taking a sip. He put down his cup on the coffee table and flicked on the television. Another news special on the diagnosis of Kudou. He sighed and drained his coffee cup, flipping through channels. Finding nothing interesting, he clicked off the television and sat in the dark for a while, thinking.

Shinichi was still in a coma. The doctor had suggested that they take him off life support and let him die in peace, but Ran had forbidden it.

'_If you think that I'm going to sit by and watch you kill him, you'll have to kill me first!' Ran shouted angrily as the doctor made her proposal._

He rubbed his eyes lazily and sat back on the couch, resting his eyes. The phone rang, but he didn't get up to answer it. It rang three more times before the machine picked up.

"Hey, you've reached the great detective of the west! Leave a message," his voice sang cheerfully through the dark apartment. There was a beep and the caller sighed irritably.

"Come on, Heiji. Pick up. I know you're there. Come on, I haven't talked to you in forever! Please pick up," Kazuha's voice pleaded through the silence. He grunted and pushed himself off the couch, picking the phone up slowly and holding it up to his ear.

"I'm here, Kazuha," he sighed.

"Heiji! Where have you been?" she snapped.

"Sorry, Kazuha," he whispered. "I was at the hospital."

"Are you sick?" Kazuha shrieked.

"No, no I'm fine. Exhausted, maybe. But otherwise fine," he replied. "Kudou Shinichi's in a coma."

"That detective you always compete with?" Kazuha asked anxiously.

"The same," he responded.

"Will he be okay?" Kazuha asked, sounding concerned.

"Not likely. They say he's got a ten percent chance of making it, and that we should take him off life support, but Ran won't have it. She said if we take him off the life support, she'll kill herself," he groaned, stretching.

"Maybe I could talk to her," Kazuha offered. Heiji made an agreeing noise from the back of his throat.

"You could try. I have to go, I'm falling asleep here," he said.

"Okay. Goodnight," she whispered.

"'Night," he grunted, hanging up. Too tired to get up, he lie down on the couch quietly and fell asleep quickly.

---

Kaito scratched the back of is head wearily and blinked rapidly. He had just been jolted from his sleep by loud, vigorous knocking on the front door. He stumbled up lazily and opened the door.

"Yeah?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"You jerk!" a female voice shrieked. He took his hands away and stared surprised at the fuming woman in front of him. Aoko ground her teeth.

"Wha –?" he started drowsily.

"Kaito! Where have you been?" she shrieked.

"Hospital," he grunted, turning and going back to the living room. She followed.

"You sick?" she asked.

"No, Kudou's in a coma," he grumbled. "Been helping out."

"The detective?" Aoko asked, shocked.

"That's the one," Kaito agreed, flopping down on the couch. Aoko sat next to him. She studied his face closely.

"You look beat! Here, lay down," she ordered, patting her lap. He stared at her dumbly. She looked at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked stupidly. She frowned.

"Put your head in my lap," she said. He blinked. "Come on."

He slowly lay down and settled his head gently in her lap. She smiled and stroked the side of his face calmingly. She caressed his hair like a mother nursing health to a sick child. He groaned lightly, leaning towards her hand. She smiled delicately and sang a soft lullaby.

  
Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
  
Dakishimeteta itami  
Koboreochita shunkan ni  
Yasashisa tabane arashi no naka he kakedasu  
Yakusoku-shite koko he kaeru to  
Hateshinaku tooku he ittemo  
  
Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
Tsunaida te ha hanasanai  
Shinjiteru ano hi no kizuna  
Tsuyoi omoi ga onaji yume wo sagashitsudzuketeru

Kaito looked up at Aoko, astonished. She had tears in her eyes and she was sniffling slightly. He lifted himself up onto his elbows and looked her in the eyes. Their lips met passionately.

---

Ran stared down at Shinichi's pale face in the light of the moon. He hadn't budged. She traced her finger over his cold lips, wishing he were awake. So he could press his warm lips against hers again.

She knew he couldn't feel her there. She knew he couldn't hear her words. But she couldn't help but think maybe he was aware. She laid her head on his heavily bandaged chest and hummed softly. Kogoro sat in the corner of the room, watching her. She fell asleep shortly after, and he picked her up. He carried her out of the hospital and drove her home. After she was comfortably settled in her bed, he made himself a cup of coffee and sat on the couch. He swirled around some cream before adding it into his cup.

He drank deeply, ignoring the scorching heat from the liquid. He put his empty cup on the table and slumped down on the couch. He turned on the television. It was a television movie, staring Yoko Okino. Somehow, it just didn't matter as much anymore.

---

Kazuha burst through the door of the Mouri residence at promptly seven o'clock the next morning. She held three brown bags of groceries in her arms and a smile on her face.

"Up and at 'em!" she sang cheerily. Kogoro jerked awake and looked around resignedly.

"Up what?" he asked. Kazuha blinked and kept the smile on her face. She skipped into the kitchen and started unpacking the food and making breakfast. Kogoro followed the scent of frying bacon and sat at the table. Ran came in a few moments later. She grumbled some sort of greeting and sat next to Kogoro.

"Good morning!" Kazuha sang. Ran smacked her head on the table. Kazuha frowned and piled eggs onto her plate. "Smile, Ran. It's beautiful out!"

"Shinichi loved being outside," Ran said, tearing up. Kazuha sat across from her.

"Ran. Ran, look at me," she ordered. Ran looked over, black bags under her eyes. "Maybe – Maybe it'd be better if you let them take Shinichi off life-support." Ran shook her head.

"No," she said harshly.

"Ran –," Kazuha started.

"NO!" Ran shouted, jumping to her feet.

"Ran! You're thinking about what you want! What about what Shinichi would want?!" Kazuha shrieked.

"He wouldn't want to die!"

"But he wouldn't want to see you like this either!"

Ran was silent. It was true; Shinichi wouldn't want her to be so depressed. Maybe he would want her to take him off life support. She stared down at her hands. Then, she stood up and left the apartment.

---

She was at the hospital. She walked past nurses and doctors, headed for Shinichi's room. She finally reached it, and stood in the door way. Shinichi laid there, same position as before. She stepped foreword determinedly.

Ran made her way to the side of his bed and looked down at him. He looked peaceful. She placed her hand on the side of his cool face and bit her lip. She knew what she had to do. She bent down and took the plug to the machine in her hand. It was the only thing keeping Shinichi alive. She braced herself and got ready to yank it out.

"What are you doing?"

**---**

**Who caught Ran? Was it Heiji? Or Kaito? Kogoro, Kazuha, or Akako? ::smile:: If you want to know, you better review!**

**shadowfox** - Hey, thanks! You're the greatest!

**Firestorm2004** - Well like I said, i needed a villian and that's not exactly my forte, so i picked her. sry 'bout that!

**Wing Omega** - Okay, i'll make this clear one last time. Shinichi killed Naoko because her blood would destroy Japan. He didn't believe what Shiro told him (note: "Ran! Get Kid and Heiji and Naoko out! Forget about me!" Shinichi said hoarsely.) So he TOLD Naoko to leave but then ("Kill Naoko!" she said. "Please!" "No," he whispered croakily. "Yes! Only way," she said. "I see Mama again!") He told her to leave but she asked him to kill her because she wanted to see her mother. I hope you understand now.


	13. The Surprise

**Naoko**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Surprise**

Ran looked up, shocked.

"Ran?" Shinichi whispered. She looked at his face, wide eyed and speechless. "What are you doing?"

"Sh – Shinichi!?" she whispered.

"Hmmm?" he murmured. His eyes were half open and he looked pale still. His voice was muffled by the tubes giving him oxygen through his nose. He was looking strait at her, cold sweat on his face and weary curiosity in his eyes. She screamed shrilly. He winced. A doctor came running in.

"What?! What?!" the doctor yelled. She caught site of the uncomfortable and confused looking boy on the bed and rushed over. "Miss I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you can't control yourself!" Ran tore from the room and to a payphone, where she shoved in some money and dialed the numbers.

"Dad! Shinichi's awake!" she exclaimed, and then she hang up. She shoved in more money and repeated the message to Heiji and Kaito. She waited anxiously, bouncing on the balls of her feet for the others to arrive.

"Ran!" Heiji called. She looked over and ran up to him. She was beaming.

"He woke up! I was in there, and then –!" she was too excited to talk in complete sentences.

"Ran, why were you in there? You're not supposed to be in there alone," Heiji said slowly. Ran blushed brightly.

"I was just – ugh! It doesn't matter. He's awake now!" she giggled. Heiji nodded in agreement.

"I guess," he said. He couldn't help but wonder why she was in there alone though. Kaito and Aoko shot into the room minutes later, surprising both of them. Their fingers were interlaced together. Heiji blinked.

"Any news?" Kaito asked.

"Not yet," Ran shook her head. "Are you two like, a couple now?"

"Uh," Kaito blushed and Aoko nodded.

"Way to go, Kuroba," Heiji grinned and clapped him on the back. Kaito blushed harder. Ran smiled brightly. Today was turning out to be perfect! Next, all Ran had to do was set Kazuha up with Heiji. A few minutes later still, Kogoro and Kazuha skidded into the hospital, almost knocking over and old woman with crutches.

"Ran!" Kazuha yelped. "What's going on?"

"Kazuha?" Heiji asked.

"Shinichi woke up!" Ran exclaimed, beaming and rocking back and forth anxiously. After about half an hour, the doctor came out of Shinichi's room and greeted them.

"Well, good news! He's awake and probably going to be okay," she said happily. "And the bad news is; he might never walk again."

"WHAT!?" Ran shrieked.

"His legs were crushed by the house. It'll be a medical miracle if he ever walks again. But, the fact that he's alive now is a great surprise as well. So there's a chance," she said. "You can see him now. But try not to overwhelm him, he's still fragile." They nodded and hurried into the room.

Shinichi was still lying in the bed, but some of the color had returned to his face. He was currently looking out the window, but looked over at them as they entered. He smiled weakly.

"Ran," he whispered. She beamed and ran over to him, wrapping him in a loose hug. He breathed in her sweet scent and sighed. She released him and sat next to the bed.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"No, no not really," he said shaking his head. Kaito snorted.

"I have to go. Take care of yourself, Kudou," Heiji waved. Shinichi gave him a questioning look but nodded. Kazuha followed him out.

"Heiji, wait!" she called as he went down the street. Rain started to fall heavily. "Heiji!" she screamed over the honking horns and pouring rain. She ran to catch up with him. A car sped by her and splashed her with freezing, muddy water.

"Hey! Watch where you're driving!" she shrieked. When she turned back around Heiji was nowhere in sight. "That little –," she broke off, fuming.

Heiji walked down the street, sulking. He knew that detectives weren't supposed to sulk, but he didn't care. He had a reason to sulk. Kazuha was more worried about Kudou than him.

"She's the jerk," he grumbled. He tripped and stumbled, almost falling into a puddle. He cursed and continued on.

_'Am I jealous of Kudou?'_ he wondered. _'No. The guy's lying in a hospital bed. They don't think he'll ever walk again. I don't envy him. Then why do I feel like this?' _he growled in frustration.

He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair; making it stick up on ends, then flop over limply as it got soaked. He shoved his hat back on and kept walking. Someone hit him in the back. He tripped and fell over, landing in a puddle. He got up on his hands and knees, but was struck in the back again and he fell, hitting his head on the sidewalk and falling unconscious.

---

Ran was smiling. She couldn't remember when she'd smiled before. Shinichi was back for good. At least she hoped. He hadn't turned back into Conan, so maybe he wasn't turning back at all. She hoped. Presently, he was asleep.

"Oh, Shinichi," she whispered.

"Poor guy. He looks so vulnerable," Aoko whispered. Kaito and Kogoro had left. True, Shinichi looked incredibly helpless at the moment.

"I wonder where Heiji and Kazuha went," Ran thought aloud.

"I don't know. Heiji seemed to be in a hurry," Aoko said.

"Only after Kazuha showed up," Ran added.

"Yeah. And she followed him right away. Maybe something's going on between them?" Aoko suggested. Ran shrugged.

"It's pouring rain out there! I hope they're okay," she said.

"They'll be fine," Aoko waved her friend's worry off. "He's a detective! You can't sneak up on a detective."

---

Heiji's head was spinning. He groaned loudly and shivered. He was soaking wet from the rain, mud caked on his face and clothes. He was tied down to a chair. His eyes snapped open when he realized it. It was dark and silent. There was a gag in his mouth, muffling his cries for help. Brusque footsteps alerted him of another person in the room.

"I thought detectives never let their guard down," the man said, laughing slightly. Heiji growled.

"What's the mater, Hattori? Cat got your tongue?" another man mocked. The first one snickered.

"We have to go now, but we'll be back. Don't you worry," he said, patting the side of Heiji's face. Heiji pulled away violently. He breathed heavily through his nose, trying to slow his rapid heartbeat. Their footsteps faded as they left quickly. He sighed and tugged at the cords that bound him to the chair.

He yanked as hard as he could and the chair scooted foreword, in the direction his attackers had gone. He paused, thinking. He scooted foreword again; heading towards what he hoped was the exit. After a long time, he hit a wall. His ankles were tied together, but not to the chair, so he kicked the wall over and over, yelling for help. But no one came. He only succeeded in knocking the chair over and smacking his head on the floor. His head pounded, but he stayed conscious. He rested his head on the floor and lay there, silently waiting.

---

Kazuha was getting worried. She'd checked everywhere and hadn't found him. He couldn't have gone too far, could he? She stopped by Shinichi's room.

"Have you seen Heiji?" she asked desperately. Shinichi blinked.

"Not since a few days ago. Why?" he asked.

"I can't find him! He just disappeared!" she said exasperatedly. Shinichi propped himself up on his elbows.

"You mean you weren't with him?" he asked frowning.

"Well I was following him, but then I almost got hit by a car and when I looked back, he was gone!" she complained. "You don't think something happened to him, do you?"

"I don't know. Help me up," he said. She went over and helped him sit up, his feet dangling over the side of the bed. He bit his lip and looked around. "Wheelchair," he pointed. She nodded and brought it over. He slowly lowered himself into it and she wheeled him out.

"Where should we look first?" she asked.

"I don't know. Do you want me to wheel?" he asked, looking up at her. She shook her head.

"No, you don't weigh anything," she laughed.

"How about we just go down the exact place you saw him last and check it out, search for clues," he volunteered. She nodded and started that way, sneaking past nurses and security guards, out of the hospital.

"I better not get arrested for kidnapping," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he said waving a hand. "I'll explain it to them."

"You're awful calm," she said grumpily. "What about Heiji?"

"So Ran was right," he said nodding.

"What do you mean?" she asked crossly.

"She told me you like Heiji, I didn't think it was true. I guess I owe her," he shrugged. Her eye twitched.

"I DO NOT!" she shouted. He jumped.

"Okay, okay! Jeez," he said holding up his hands. "I'm already in a wheelchair; don't give me a heart attack!"

"Okay, this is the place. There's the puddle that I got splashed with, and Heiji disappeared right as he turned the corner of that building," she said pointing. She wheeled him over to the building and he leaned over, looking over his knees to the ground. He reached down and put his fingers in a muddy puddle that was streaked with red. He studied the substance closely for a few minutes before looking up at Kazuha.

"There's blood here," he said. She bit her lip.

"Do you think it's his?" she asked.

"I don't know. It could be. But how many people bleed in the rain?" he said. She looked horrified.

"So he's bleeding?!" she asked.

"Well, if he was attacked –," he started.

"Oh no! He's probably alone and scared and hurt in some old basement with someone keeping him hostage!" she wailed.

"He's probably okay," he said.

"Let's keep looking," she suggested hopefully. He nodded and she pushed him down the sidewalk. They went around three blocks and finally he stopped them. He could've sworn he heard pounding.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. She went silent and listened carefully. She did hear it.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"It stopped," he said after a while.

"Should we check it out?" she asked. "It came from that warehouse," she said pointing across the street. They were in the most deserted part of town; all of it was just buildings under construction.

"Yeah, maybe we should. It's Sunday, no one should be working," he said. She nodded and followed as he wheeled himself over to the building. He stopped in front of the door and reached for the knob, pulling it open steadily. He backed up and let Kazuha go before him.

"It's too dark. I can't see," she whispered. He reached out a hand for her.

"Where are you?" he whispered. She moved closer and took the handles of the chair. "Stay close."

She felt along the wall for a switch of some kind to turn on the light. She smirked and flicked the switch when she found it. No light came on. She scowled.

"Heiji!?" she called. Her voice echoed through the dark room. Shinichi gasped.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "Do you know who could be in here?!"

"Shut up! I'm trying to listen," she shushed. She licked her lips and waited. There was a shuffling sound near the other side of the room. She could hear a muffled sound as thought someone were trying to speak through thick cotton.

"I hear it," he said almost inaudibly. She gently pushed the chair towards the noise.

"Keep going Heiji, help us find you," she said. The pounding started again, echoing through the room.

"What are you waiting for?" Shinichi asked. "Go get him!" she nodded and let go of the handlebars, running towards the noise. He wheeled himself along slowly, looking for anyone that could pose as a threat. Kazuha skidded to a halt and fell to her knees when she reached the other side. She could feel his presence and turned, shuffling her feet. The pounding stopped and she could hear his breathing. She cried out as she tripped over something. There was a grunt as she landed on something hard.

"Real graceful, Kazuha," she muttered. Whatever she landed on was moving. "Heiji?" there was a throaty grunt from the left and she crawled off. She crawled on her hands and knees, feeling around for him. She touched something soft and pulled back.

"Kazuha! I found a flashlight," Shinichi called. He clicked it on and set it in his lap. He shined it around and saw them. Kazuha looked down and saw she was directly above him. She took the gag out of his mouth and he swallowed roughly.

"Ow. I'm lying on my arms right now," he said. She heaved up the chair and set it heavily down on its legs. Shinichi wheeled foreword and stopped next to him.

"And how are you today?" he asked pleasantly. Heiji scowled.

"That's not funny," he groaned. "I have a splitting headache!"

"Well you should. I'd be worried if you didn't," Shinichi said.

"Don't screw with me Kudou," Heiji warned him. Shinichi shook his head.

"Sorry. It's the meds, I swear," he smiled innocently.

"Speaking of medication, we need to get you back to the hospital before I get arrested," Kazuha said. She leaned over and untied his wrists and ankles. He stood up and sat back down quickly. Kazuha leaned foreword concernedly. He shook his head slowly.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute," he grumbled. He rubbed his temples and groaned. Then he put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up.

"Okay let's go sneak him back into the hospital then," he said brightly. He grasped the handles of the wheelchair and they started for the door. The light clicked on.

"Just the boy we wanted to see!"

---

**And who is this mysterious person? Kaito? Agasa? The police? :-)**

_dood_ - Close, but no cigar.

_PRIVATE_ - YES! There IS a surprise ending.

_Wing Omega_ - Getting a litttttttllllle frustrated here. Remember the whole, 'this is mystory, this is how I want it' thing a while back? That goes along here. Nice guesses though

_Firestorm2004_ - **_DING DING DING! _**::sirens blare and flshing lights go off:: **_WE HAVE A WINNER! YOU GET A PRIZE NEXT CHAPTER!!! CONGRATS!_**


	14. The Wheelchair

**Naoko**

**---**

_Okay everyone, here it is! the super duper surprise chapter I promised is finally here! Enjoy!_

_And congrats to Firestorm2004, the lucky winner of last chapter's contest!_

---

**Chapter Fourteen: The Wheelchair**

"How have you been Kudou? Had a little accident I see," Vodka said gleefully. Shinichi gripped the wheels of the chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. Heiji leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Who are these guys?"

"Guess," he grumbled.

"Those shrink guys?" Heiji asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Yeah," Shinichi said quietly.

"No need to whisper boys. No one will hear your conversation, and no one will ever hear your voices again," Gin said sadistically.

"What do you want?" Shinichi asked aloud.

"You were supposed to die two years ago. We're just going to finish the job," Vodka said pulling out a gun.

"And unfortunately for you, you've got nowhere to run. Or, wheel in your case," Gin smirked. He pulled out a gun as well.

"Damn it!" Heiji cursed.

"What are we going to do?" Kazuha whispered.

"Probably die," Shinichi nodded. He grinned lopsidedly. "Sorry. Meds."

"When are your meds gonna wear off?" Heiji snapped. Shinichi shrugged.

"Hopefully before we die," he said.

"No one is dying!" a new voice said. Shinichi looked behind him. Ran, Kaito and Aoko stood in the doorway.

"You may outnumber us, but it will be easy to kill you. You're just teenagers," Vodka scoffed.

"Hey, look who it is," Gin said, eyes glinting. Vodka followed his gaze and looked at Kaito, who gulped audibly.

"It's Kuroba's son," Vodka smirked.

"Uh oh," Kaito whispered.

"Better known by another name though," Gin said. Aoko looked confused. Kaito looked panicked. She squeezed his hand.

"What are they talking about Kaito?" she asked.

"Oh, how terrible! You didn't tell your little girlfriend who you were?" Gin mocked. Kaito's breathing became labored.

"Who he is?" Aoko said slowly. Shinichi licked his lips nervously. Heiji tightened his grip on the handles.

"Kaito Kuroba is actually –," Vodka started smiling, but Kaito stopped him.

"No!" he cried. "Please, don't!"

"Why not? Who'll she tell? You're all dying today Kaitou Kid!" Gin shouted. Aoko's hand slid out of his numbly. He looked over at her, frightened.

"Aoko," he whispered.

"Leave me alone," she said.

"How terrible. Let me put you out of your misery," Vodka smirked and pointed his gun at Kaito. Kaito tensed and waited. There was no point in trying to avoid it. He would accept death as it came and wouldn't fight it. He heard the gunfire and braced himself.

Shinichi watched in shock as Aoko pushed Kaito away. He watched Kaito stare down at his feet in shame. Then Vodka aimed his gun and fired. Kaito stood still as it headed foreword. Shinichi shoved himself backwards quickly, crashing into Kaito with the chair. Kaito cried out in surprise and fell, the bullet just grazing his right cheek. Blood dribbled down his face, but he just sat on the ground shocked, staring up at Shinichi.

"No one's dying while I'm around, not even you, Kid," he said.

"Enough of this. You all die now!" Gin shouted. He fired repeatedly at them. They scattered, and miraculously they all made it out the door. They all went in opposite directions, running to get help and shelter. Shinichi paused about half a mile away, looking around. He heard Ran scream from the right and wheeled himself as fast as he could towards her voice.

_'Damn it! I finally get my body back and I can't use my legs!' _he thought angrily. He stopped at the top of a hill. Ran was halfway down, Vodka in front of her, his gun trained at her forehead. She was frozen in fear. He had to save her, but how could he do it?

He finally made up his mind, went to the edge of the hill and shoved hard. He went flying down, hair blowing in the wind, wheelchair bouncing slightly as it rolled speedily down the hill. He flung out his arm at the exact right moment, and hit Vodka's arm, sending the revolver flying. He wrapped his arms around Ran's waist on his way by and pulled her into his lap. She screamed in alarm, but he couldn't stop. With one arm around her waist and his right hand poised above one of the rapidly spinning wheels, he waited for the right moment.

It finally came. He grabbed the right wheel with his hand, ignoring the burning of the wheel tearing the flesh off his hand. He clenched his teeth and his eyes filled with tears, but he didn't let go. They finally slowed, the chair swerving, going down the hill not forewords, but sideways. It hit a rock and bounced, jerking the passengers out of the seat.

He landed hard on his left shoulder. He winced and gasped in pain, his shoulder throbbing horribly. His right hand was totally torn up, bleeding freely. He sat up, groaning in agony. His left shoulder was dislocated, arm hanging limply out of the socket. He used his right elbow to inch toward Ran, who was lying a few feet away. This task was difficult, as he was without the use of both his legs, an arm and both hands. Not an easy task at all.

"Ran!" he called hoarsely. She didn't respond. She didn't stir. "Ran!"

"It seems you've done more harm than good," Vodka said as he approached. Shinichi looked over fearfully.

"Please don't hurt her!" he cried. Gin came up from the other side and kicked Ran over onto her back. Her eyes were closed and there was a purplish bruise forming over her left eye. It was cut open slightly, bleeding down her face. Shinichi saw that she'd ht her head on a large rock.

"We don't need to. You've killed her for us," Gin said smiling. Shinichi shook his head frantically.

"No! I didn't!" he panicked.

"You did," Vodka said. "And to think, you loved each other. What will your friends say?"

"I'm sure they won't be your friends for long after you're arrested for murder," Gin asked.

"I didn't! It was an accident!" he cried.

"Even if it was, they won't know that. They'll get here and see your dead body with a gun in your hand and her body next to yours. They'll call it a murder suicide," Vodka smiled.

"No! Heiji and Kaito will tell them it's not true! And Kazuha and Aoko!" he said. Vodka pulled Shinichi up and propped him up in a kneeling position. He took a fistful of his hair in one hand and hooked the other around his waist, pushing his head away and keeping him in place.

"No. Your little friend Aoko will have told the police about Kuroba by then. Hattori and the other girl will be arrested for associating with a criminal.No one will believe their stories," Vodka said.

"Enough talk. You will die now," Gin shouted. Shinichi watched helplessly as Gin reloaded his gun. Vodka laughed at the vulnerable look on his face. He yanked on his hair, making Shinichi wince.

"Hurry up Gin. We'll get caught if we stay much longer," Vodka said. Gin nodded and put the gun to Shinichi's temple. Shinichi tried to jerk away, but Vodka held him in place. Shinichi's eyes darted to where Ran was lying. Her eyes were closed and the cut was bleeding heavily. Tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Go ahead and cry detective," Gin said smiling. "No one can save you now."

"Die!" a male voice cried. Gin's head jerked foreword and he fell unconscious, dropping the gun. Kogoro held the large rock in his hands and gave Vodka a look of pure rage. He raised the rock again, but Vodka quickly repositioned Shinichi as a human shield. Kogoro froze.

"Go ahead, kill him," Vodka urged. "Save us the trouble."

"Let him go," he said.

"Come on, kill him," Vodka urged. "He killed your daughter; doesn't that give you the right to kill him?"

"What?" Kogoro stuttered.

"Yeah, see, she's right over there," he jerked his head to the side. His eyes fell on her bloody face and he dropped the rock. It landed with a thud on the ground, barely missing Shinichi.

"Ran..." he gasped.

"He killed the only thing you had left. Now you're all alone. Make him all alone too. Kill him. Use the gun," Vodka insisted. Kogoro picked up the gun. Shinichi was sobbing now.

"Please," he begged. "I didn't do it, please don't kill me!"

"He's lying to you," Vodka whispered. "Make him pay for it. Avenge your daughter!" Vodka said sadistically.

"I will!" Kogoro shouted. He aimed and fired. Vodka choked as the bullet punctured his chest. He dropped Shinichi and gasped for air, clutching his chest in agony. His eyes rolled up in his head as he passed out. Shinichi crawled over to where Ran was laying and put his head on her chest. He let out a sob of relief when he heard her heart beating faintly.

"Oh god, she's alive," he whispered. "Thank you."

"What happened?" Kogoro asked.

"I didn't kill her. She's not dead," he smiled but couldn't stop crying.

"You didn't do this?" Kogoro asked, checking the head wound.

"No, it was an accident. She was in my lap and the chair fell. She hit her head, but it was an accident, I swear!" he said desperately.

"It's okay Kudou, I believe you," Kogoro assured him. "What happened to you when the chair tipped?"

"Nothing. I dislocated my shoulder," he shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Let me help you," Kogoro said.

"No, I told you it doesn't matter. Just get Ran out of here before they send reinforcements," Shinichi groaned.

"I'm not leaving you here. We don't leave anyone behind!" Kogoro said forcefully. He grasped Shinichi's uninjured arm and pulled him over, propping him up against a tree trunk. He took Shinichi's dislocated arm in one hand and his shoulder in the other.

"What are you doing?" Shinichi asked.

"This might hurt a bit," Kogoro answered. He jerked his arm forcefully and Shinichi cried out. A loud popping noise informed them that the shoulder was back in place.

"Ow," he whimpered pitifully. Kogoro patted him on the back reassuringly.

"Here," Kogoro said, grabbing the wheel chair. It was a bit twisted and one armrest had broken off, but it was mobile. Kogoro heaved Shinichi into the chair and picked up his daughter. Shinichi tore a strip of cloth and wrapped it around his bloody hand tightly, knotting it after. He started to wheel himself away, Kogoro following.

"So how did you find us?" he asked.

"Hattori got to me first. He told me the whole story, starting with you being turned into a kid and ending with you being chased down by the same people who tried to kill you before. So I came to help," Kogoro answered.

"Where to?" Shinichi asked.

"The police station. I doubt those guys will be moved, but we have to get someone here to arrest them," Kogoro said grimly.

"You can't get ride of us that easily!" Gin's voice echoed through the clearing.

"Damn it! Will you just die already?" Shinichi grumbled.

"You may have gotten Vodka but it's not that easy to get rid of me!" he fired his gun at Mouri. Kogoro dove out of the way, Ran flying out of his arms. Shinichi gripped the wheels tightly. Ran spoke weakly form behind him and he turned, shocked.

"Shinichi? What's going on?" she asked dizzily. "What happened?"

"Just stay away, Ran! Let me handle this!" he said. Gin was moving foreword and so he did the same. Gin fired again. Shinichi dove out of the chair just in time; the bullet went trough the back. He sat on the ground in front of Gin snarling with rage.

"You'll die next Kudou. Goodnight," he aimed the pistol between Shinichi's eyes. But Shinichi was so angry; he didn't even know what happened next.

He stood up, fury blazing in his eyes. He didn't seem to realize the rest of the group watching him in shock. He ran and kicked the gun out of Gin's hand before he could fire again. Then, he kicked him in the head. Gin stumbled backwards but kept on his feet. He grabbed the handlebars and swung the wheelchair around, hitting the other man in the face. Gin fell backwards with the force of the blow and landed hard on the ground.

"That was for turning me into a kid," he growled. Gin dove foreword and grabbed his legs. Shinichi fell backwards, but as he landed, he used all his force to catapult Gin off of him. Gin landed on his head a few feet away. Shinichi got to his feet quickly.

"That was for trying to kill Mouri," he growled. "And Kaito and Heiji."

"Your pretty weak, Kudou," Gin taunted, blood trickling out of his mouth. Shinichi licked his lips and knelt down, picking up the dropped pistol. He aimed it at Gin, who looked shocked.

"And this," he said panting slightly, "Is for Ran." He fired.

He fell heavily to his knees as the man who caused him so much pain keeled over, dead with a bullet between his eyes. He buried his face in his hands, tears falling silently, staining his cheeks. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. Two arms wrapped around him tightly and soft hair caressed his hands.

"It's okay Shinichi. It's okay," Ran whispered in his ear. He shifted and hugged her, burying his face in her soft hair. It started to rain, thunder rumbling lowly in the distance. That day, he cried harder than he ever had in his life.

---

**PRIVATE** - thanks for your review

**Wing Omega** - thanks for reviewing!

**Firestorm2004** - Thanks!


	15. The Feelings

**Naoko**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Feelings**

He must have passed out, for when he woke up, he was in a bed. He kept his eyes closed, but listened intently for any clue to where he was. Rain pounded the windows. He bolted upright when he realized.

"Oh my god," he breathed.

"Shinichi are you up?" Ran's voice asked quietly from the doorway.

"Ran?" he asked waveringly. She stepped into the room and sat next to him when she heard the sound of his voice.

"It's okay, honey," she whispered, hugging him.

"I killed him," he whispered. "I'm a murderer."

"No, it wasn't your fault. Dad and I were there, we saw the whole thing. You'll be fine, I promise," she whispered, stroking his hair.

"I almost got you killed Ran," he breathed.

"No you didn't. You saved my life," she said calmly.

"It won't matter to the police. I'll be arrested for murder," he whispered.

"No you won't," she said firmly. "And if they try, they'll have to kill me first. I won't let them take you away. I love you too much."

"I love you too Ran," he said laughing slightly. "I love you too."

---

"Aoko please listen to me!" Kaito cried desperately. She walked faster, trying to get away from him.

"Get away from me," she said, tears in her eyes. Her voice wobbled with sadness and betrayal.

"Please Aoko! _Please_!" he whimpered. "Please just hear me out!" Aoko spun around, folding her arms over her chest and looking him in the eye.

"Fine," she said sternly. "Talk."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I lied to you, I'm sorry I couldn't trust you enough to tell you the truth. I'm sorry!" he said.

"You're sorry?! You're not sorry! You couldn't trust me! Friends are supposed to trust each other!" she shouted.

"Aoko! You never listened to me! I wanted to tell you but you said you hated Kaitou Kid! What was I supposed to do? I told you I'm sorry!" he yelled.

"You're only sorry 'cause you got caught!" she cried. He fell to his knees.

"Please Aoko, please! I wanted to tell you! But I couldn't handle it if you hated me!" he tried to explain.

"Well handle it now, Kid. Because I _hate_ you!"

---

Heiji rubbed his forehead. It had been a long couple of days and he was tired. A gentle knocking alerted him of another's presence.

"Can I come in, Heiji?" Kazuha whispered.

"Yeah," he grunted. She entered. She rocked back and forth on her heels before walking swiftly over to the bed and sitting down next to him.

"Heiji are you mad at me?" she asked bluntly.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked sarcastically.

"Heiji why?" she asked disbelievingly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Heiji just shrugged and turned away. He stared out the window, watching the rain streak down the glass. He curled up in a ball like a little child afraid and rocked gently. She rubbed his back.

"Heiji?" she asked.

"Just go away. Go check on Kudou or something. You're worried about him aren't you?" he asked venomously.

"Not as worried as I am about you!" she said desperately. "Is that it? You think I like Shinichi?"

"No!" he snapped. He sighed, "Okay yes."

"Oh Heiji, that's so immature. But it's sweet that you like me so much you were jealous," she smiled.

"It's not like that," he grumbled.

"Then what is it?" she asked gently.

"Okay," he sighed. "I was jealous. But you make it sound bad when you say it like that."

"It's okay Heiji," she said. "I admit I was jealous of Ran for a little while."

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because I thought you liked her," she laughed. "Kind of dumb, huh?"

"Not as dumb as I was," he said. A loud rumble of thunder and a bright flash of lightning made Heiji jump and tense.

"Are you afraid of thunderstorms?" Kazuha asked smiling.

"No!" he snapped. "Okay yes." He trembled as more lighting struck and thunder roared in their ears. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close so her chest was pressed up against his back. Her hands linked with his and she pressed her cheek against his. She started to sing softly:

Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
  
Dakishimeteta itami  
Koboreochita shunkan ni  
Yasashisa tabane arashi no naka he kakedasu  
Yakusoku-shite koko he kaeru to  
Hateshinaku tooku he ittemo  
  
Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
Tsunaida te ha hanasanai  
Shinjiteru ano hi no kizuna  
Tsuyoi omoi ga onaji yume wo sagashitsudzuketeru

She finished and hummed softly. Their breathing became synchronized as they sat together for hours, listening to the rain.

---

Kaito sat at the kitchen table, rolling a vial with clear liquid between his fingers. He sniffed, wiping tears out of his eyes with his sleeve. He gently uncorked the vial with his teeth and held it in front of his mouth. The bitter smell of almonds floated towards his nose. He gulped down the lump in his throat and pressed the vial to his lips.

"What are you doing?" Shinichi asked from the doorway. Kaito lowered the vial slightly.

"Do you think it'll hurt, Kudou?" he whispered.

"Hurt?" Shinichi asked slowly.

"When the cyanide kills me. Do you think it will hurt? It can't hurt as bad as it does now," he said, smiling slightly.

"You're drunk, Kaito. Just put it down and let me help you," Shinichi said, stepping foreword gradually. He shook his head.

"No, there's no way you can help me, Kudou. I appreciate the effort though," he laughed quietly. "It's been great, Kudou. It really has," he brought the vial to his lips and started to tip it back. Shinichi smacked it out of his hand. It crashed to the floor and shattered to tiny pieces, the cyanide forming a small puddle soaking into the carpet.

"Don't be stupid Kid," he said harshly.

"I don't have anything to live for, Kudou!" he snapped. "Let me do it!"

"No Kid. You might be clouded in darkness now, but it'll get better. You can't throw your life away because one little thing went wrong," he said.

"My whole life is wrong, Kudou!" Kid yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

"What did you do with the money, Kid?" Shinichi whispered. Kid looked up sharply.

"What?" he asked.

"The bank money we stole, Kid. What did you do with it?" Shinichi asked slowly. Kid looked away and muttered something under his breath. "What was that, Kid?" Kid looked over at him angrily.

"I said –," he cut off, looking down again.

"What did you say?" Shinichi asked gently.

"I said... I split it up and I sent it to orphanages and various families around the country," he said averting his eyes.

"See? If that's wrong then what's right?" Shinichi asked. "You're a great person, Kid. And if Aoko can't see it then she's not the right girl for you."

"But she has to be!" Kid cried. "I love her!" He broke down, falling to his knees and sobbing. Shinichi knelt next to him and pulled him into a hug comfortingly.

"I know Kid. I know," he whispered.

"What'll I do Kudou? Ran loves you back and Heiji has Kazuha! I'm the only one without a someone," he sobbed.

"It'll be alright Kaito. I promise," Shinichi said.

---

Ran combed her hair for the millionth time and studied herself in the mirror. She sighed impatiently and pulled the brush through her hair again. She was in her best dress, the one she'd bought with Sonoko almost three months before.

"What do you think Aoko?" she asked. Aoko was gazing off into space, not paying the least bit off attention. "Aoko!"

"Oh! Sorry! What was the question?" she asked, snapping out of her daze.

"I said, 'What do you think?'" Ran said impatiently.

"You look great!" she said.

"Thanks!" Ran beamed. "Aren't you going out with Kaito?"

"NO!" Aoko snapped angrily. "I hate him!"

"What?!" Ran asked, shocked.

"He's such a jerk! I hate him!" she fumed.

"Aoko!" Ran shrieked.

"It's true! We've been friends forever and he never told me about him or his father!" she snarled.

"Put yourself in his place!"

"He lied to me!"

"He couldn't tell you the truth!"

"I would've understood!"

"Then why don't you understand now?!"

"I don't understand why he felt he had to lie to me!"

"Because he didn't want you to hate him!"

Their arguing became louder and angrier as time went by. Finally, Aoko snapped. She grabbed a vase and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces. The pieces fell to the floor and Aoko stood breathing heavily. Ran went silent and turned on her heel, heading for the door. She opened it and turned to look at Aoko, her hand on the knob.

"I don't know what's wrong with you Aoko, but you need to get over it quick. Kaito loves you, and if you can't see that, then...I don't know what'll happen to you," she said. She slammed the door closed and Aoko heard her stomp down the hall. She let out a loud cry of frustration and sank to her knees. Nothing was right in her world.

---

PRIVATE - uh...yeah

Wing Omega - thanks for reviewing!


	16. The End

**Naoko**

Hi all...I got no reviews for last chapter...not sure if you didnt read it or it was so horrible you couldnt bear to review...hopefully this one will be better...

**Chapter Sixteen: The End**

Kaito lay on his side in bed, staring at the wall. He blinked back tears and sniffed loudly, sighing through his mouth. He shifted, finding a cooler spot on his pillow. He sighed again, a depressed sort of sigh that would make anyone feel like crying. He didn't hear the person entering the room quietly. He started when the unknown person lay down next to him on the bed, wrapping their arm around his waist.

"Shhh... it's okay," Aoko whispered in his ear. He relaxed slightly, letting his head drop back onto the pillow.

"What are you doing?" he asked as her hand gently caressed his bare stomach. Her fingers lightly grazing his bellybutton, making him shudder slightly.

"I'm sorry about what I said," she whispered. "I was just angry. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he whispered back. "It doesn't matter anymore. I was wrong; I should've told you about me."

"No," she shook her head. "I was wrong! When I found out I was just so angry I couldn't think straight. I just didn't want to hear what you had to say. I should've listened. But now I understand." He smiled slightly.

"I don't think I ever told you," he said quietly, "That I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered in his ear. She pulled the blanket over her and then replaced her arms around his waist. Her fingers fiddled with the button on his blue jeans. He rolled over to face her, placing his hands on her hips. She kissed his healing bullet wound gently. Her fingers found the zipper of his jeans and undid it slowly. He pulled her into a kiss, slipping his tongue gently into her mouth.

---

"You're beautiful, Ran," Shinichi said, gazing at his girlfriend across the table. She reddened.

"Thank you," she muttered.

"Am I embarrassing you?" he asked.

"No," she answered. She paused for a few seconds, gazing deeply into his eyes. "I love you, Shinichi." He smiled.

"I love you more," he teased.

"No, I love you more," she said grinning slyly.

"No I love you more," he said.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I love you more infinity!" Ran said smugly, kissing his lips.

"You win this round," he grinned, kissing her back.

"Do you still want to be a detective, Shinichi?" Ran asked after a while.

"Yeah, I really do," he said honestly. She smiled gently.

"Well if it's what you want, I'm all for it," she said quietly, placing her hand over his bandaged one. He looked up into her eyes. They were filled with honesty and love. He smiled widely.

"Thanks Ran," he whispered. "That means a lot to me."

"Whatever you want, Shinichi. You've missed out on almost three years of your life. This is your time." Ran said. She smiled, eyes twinkling. "Anything for my boy."

---

Heiji blinked blearily as the sun shone across his face, prodding him out of his slumber. He groaned quietly, stretching. He looked over at the sleeping figure curled up next to him and smiled. Kazuha buried her face in his side and moaned quietly.

"Morning already?" she asked tiredly, eyes still closed.

"Yeah," he yawned. She ruffled her hair and made a sleepy noise from the back of her throat.

"Do we have to get up?" she asked groggily.

"Mm hmm..." he moaned. She sighed and slumped against the mattress. "I'll go make coffee," he said, starting to sit up.

"Uh-uh," she protested, pulling him back down. "Warm."

"We have to get up sometime. It's already," he checked his watch. "Eleven o'clock!?"

"What?!" Kazuha bolted upright as well.

"Wow we slept late," Heiji said shocked.

"Yeah. And I didn't have any nightmares!" Kazuha smiled. Heiji frowned.

"You've been having nightmares?" he asked. She blushed.

"A few," she mumbled.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No. Thanks though," she said. "It's weird though, Heiji."

"What is?" he asked curiously.

"I never have nightmares when I'm with you," she said smiling at him. He smiled back at her. "You make me feel safe."

"That's what happens when you love someone. You always feel safe. In that storm last night, I felt safer than I ever had. My parents never held me like that during a storm," he said, looking down at his hands. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. He linked his fingers with hers.

"I'll always be here to hold you," she whispered.

---

When Kaito woke up the next morning, he couldn't remember when he'd gotten a better night's sleep. He was on his side, arms wrapped securely around Aoko's bare waist under the sheet covering them. He thought she looked beautiful, lying next to him, hair all askew and a peaceful smile on her face. She was still asleep. He kissed her bare shoulder gently, caressing her smooth skin with his lips.

Aoko opened her eyes a crack and turned her head. Kaito stroked the inside of her thigh gently with his knuckles. She moaned softly and turned to face him. She gazed into his loving eyes for a while, fingers tracing soft circles around his bellybutton. He shuddered slightly and grasped her hand, laying it flat on his stomach. Her hand felt warm on his cool skin.

"I love you Kaito," she whispered to him. He pulled her closer, pulling her head to his chest. He caressed her hair gently with his free hand and smiled.

"I love you, Aoko," he whispered. "More than anything, ever."

---

Ran spooned the cold cereal into her mouth slowly, staring out the window at the cool blue sky. She pondered going outside, but didn't feel like changing out of what she was currently wearing; one of Shinichi's T-shirts and a pair of his plaid boxers. She looked up as Shinichi walked in, rubbing sleep out of his eyes wearily. He scratched his neck and sat next to Ran at the table.

"So that's where my shirt went," he grumbled, squinting at Ran. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. She giggled as he rubbed his uncovered chest. He was dressed just in faded baggy jeans. "And there are my boxers," he observed smirking.

"Morning babe," she laughed. He slung his arm over her shoulders. She held out a spoonful of cereal to him. He ate it, grinning widely. Their lips met again, his free hand traveling down and resting on her inner thigh. He pressed his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him. The door burst open and Kogoro entered. He looked at them and made a face.

"Put a shirt on, Kudou," he said shaking his head. Shinichi grinned.

"I would but your daughter stole it." He said. Kogoro blinked and looked over at Ran, who grinned. Kogoro shook his head and poured himself a cup of coffee. He drained it quickly and wiped his mouth.

"I'm going down to the station. Don't do anything stupid and don't wreck the house," he said. He set down his cup and left the room. But before he left, he called, "And DON'T YOU DARE HAVE SEX!" and slammed the door. Shinichi looked over at Ran, a big grin on his face.

"Well he's ruined my plan for the day, what did you want to do?" he joked.

"I don't know. Did you have anything else in mind?" she asked giggling. He shrugged. They sat in silence fir a while, then Shinichi grinned mischievously and dove at Ran. She squealed and fell to the floor, giggling.

"Stop!" she shrieked as he tickled her mercilessly. "Shinichi!" she pushed him off and jumped on top of him, straddling his waist and grabbed his wrists, pinning them above his head. They lay there panting on the kitchen tile for a few minutes, just laughing and panting.

"Wow Ran," he said. "You've changed."

"You know what they say, 'People do crazy things, when their in love.' And I love you, Kudou Shinichi," she said.

"I love you more infinity," he said playfully. He sat up slightly, kissing her lips gently. They kissed deeply for a while then broke away for air.

"You win this time," she breathed.

---

Kazuha was sitting in Heiji's lap. Kaito was sitting on the floor in front of a chair, which Aoko was sitting in. her fingers were entangled in his already messy hair. Ran was resting her head on Shinichi's shoulder. They were currently watching a movie in the living room of the Kudou residence. It ended and they all stretched.

"That was a great movie, don't you think?" Aoko asked.

"It was good," Kaito agreed.

"Yeah," Ran said.

"I'd see it again," Kazuha said. They all paused.

"It sucked," Heiji said, giving them odd looks.

"Yeah," they all said at once. "But Shinichi picked it out!"

Shinichi was asleep. His head was tipped over, cheek resting upon his shoulder. Ran beamed.

"Aw, that's so cute!" she cooed. Kaito scratched his head. Heiji rolled his eyes. Kazuha snuggled up to Heiji. Aoko rested her head on Kaito's shoulder.

"Well we' better head home," Heiji said, his arm wrapping around Kazuha.

"Yeah. Us too," Aoko said. She intertwined her fingers with Kaito's and headed for the door.

"See you guys later," Heiji waved, heading out, Kazuha following.

"Bye!" Kaito and Aoko called.

"Bye!" Ran whispered quietly so not to wake Shinichi. She was left alone with her sleeping boyfriend. She sat next to him on the sofa and leaned up against him. He shifted slightly but didn't wake up. After a while, he started to stir. But he wasn't waking up. Ran sighed and maneuvered him so his head was on her lap. He was having another nightmare.

Nightmares had been frequently plaguing his mind ever since the deaths of Gin and Vodka. She cupped his face in her hands to cool his gradually warming face. He was flinching and thrashing now. He whimpered and arched his back. She pushed him down gently, stroking his face. He calmed down slightly and laid still, cold sweat on his face. She sang quietly to him, trying to pull him out of the nightmare.

Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
  
Dakishimeteta itami  
Koboreochita shunkan ni  
Yasashisa tabane arashi no naka he kakedasu  
Yakusoku-shite koko he kaeru to  
Hateshinaku tooku he ittemo  
  
Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
Tsunaida te ha hanasanai  
Shinjiteru ano hi no kizuna  
Tsuyoi omoi ga onaji yume wo sagashitsudzuketeru

As she finished, his eyes fluttered open. He gazed at her blearily and smiled.

"Ran..." he whispered.

"What is it Shinichi?" she asked curiously.

"I wanted to say..." he said quietly.

"Say?" she asked.

"I wanted to say...I love you. And I want you to know that no matter what happens, I always will love you," he said.

"I love you too, Shinichi," she said smiling devotedly down at him. He smiled back.

-

"But I love you more infinity."

**The End**

**---**

Epilogue Next Chapter!


	17. The Epilogue

**Naoko**

**The Epilogue **

About twelve years later, Shinichi and Ran Kudou lived in Shinichi's parents' house with their son, Conan. Conan was eight years old, the spitting image of his father, with his grandfather's eyesight and enormous glasses. He loves wearing his red bowtie. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a great detective. Ran and Shinichi have just celebrated their eleventh year anniversary. Ran's expecting a baby soon.

---

Kazuha and Heiji lived in a large apartment on the edge of town. Kazuha's due to have twins in two months, two girls to be named Shina and Toshi. Their oldest, a six year old girl named Kei, has found herself smitten with little Conan, who's awkwardness also comes from his father. Heiji and Kazuha have been married for six years.

---

Kaito and Aoko have four children, two boys and two girls. The boys, Tanaka and Yuki, who are nine and twelve, are Conan's best friends. The girls are three and seven, named Hisa and Dai. Kaito and Aoko have been married for almost eight years.

---

Shinichi never turned back into a child. Agasa said that because of the stress in his system, the poison given to him basically cancelled itself out. Ai stayed as a child but she didn't seem to mind it much. She said she'd rather be a kid then get kidnapped, tortured, shot and crushed by a house. That statement still makes Shinichi roll his eyes.

---

They all stayed friends over the years, through the good times and the bad. When Ran almost died at childbirth. When Heiji and Kazuha almost got divorced. On the children's first days at school. When Kaito finally found his father's killer.

---

And now they sat all together in the kitchen of the Kudou's house getting ready for Christmas dinner. Kei and Dai chatted animatedly as Ran leaned over her protruding belly and served them. Conan stuck his tongue out at his father, who flicked carrots at him playfully. Ran smacked the back of his head.

"Your setting a bad example!" she snapped. He smiled.

"I know," he said. Kaito snickered.

"Lighten up, Ran. Be happy, smile! You're having a baby!" Aoko gushed.

"Yeah," Shinichi patted her large stomach fondly.

"Tanaka! No throwing turkey!" Kaito snapped. Tanaka dropped his piece and everyone looked at Kaito, shocked. "Never _ever _throw turkey! Potatoes stick much better!" he grinned, flicking some at Heiji. It hit him in the forehead.

"See?" Shinichi said. "It sticks."

"Only because these are Kazuha's potatoes," Heiji muttered, wiping it off. Kazuha's temple pulsed and she narrowed her eyes.

"What was that _dear_?" she asked.

"I said 'I love Kazuha's potatoes'," he said smiling innocently.

"That's what I thought you said," she stated. Kei and Dai giggled. Ran suddenly stopped, placing her hand on her stomach and grimacing.

"What's the matter Ran?" Shinichi asked worriedly.

"It's time," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked, sounding panicked.

"Judging by the fact my water just broke, yeah I'm pretty sure," she said, panicking a little. Shinichi cursed under his breath.

---

After much agonized waiting, Shinichi was allowed to see Ran. He rushed into the hospital room and was greeted by the site of his wife, sweating and grinning in the bed, holding a baby wrapped in a blanket. He sat next to her and she smiled at him.

"I did it," she said weakly.

"Yeah Ran, you did it," he whispered.

"Get Conan," she said. He nodded and left. He came back a few minutes later, little Conan holding his hand, a curious look on his face.

"Conan," he started, "Meet your little sister, Naoko."

---

Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
  
Dakishimeteta itami  
Koboreochita shunkan ni  
Yasashisa tabane arashi no naka he kakedasu  
Yakusoku-shite koko he kaeru to  
Hateshinaku tooku he ittemo  
  
Donna toki de mo  
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo  
Tsunaida te ha hanasanai  
Shinjiteru ano hi no kizuna  
Tsuyoi omoi ga onaji yume wo sagashitsudzuketeru

Translation:

_No matter what time it is  
You'll never be alone  
  
At the moment the pain  
That I embraced overflows and spills  
A bundle of gentleness will start running for the eye of the storm  
Promise me that you will return to here  
No matter how endlessly far away you go  
  
No matter what time it is  
You'll never be alone  
Our clasped hands will not separate  
The bonds of that day in which I believe  
Strong feelings will continue to search for the same dream _

_---_

And they lived, happily ever after.

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Well there it is. All 17 long chapters. Tell me honestly, was it any good? It was my first try, so I just want to know of any improvements. Thanks!

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_arsg66_ - Okay, I don't know if it's so horrible you want to bang your head on a table or what but you need to sort out your complements and insults, okay?

_PRIVATE_ - you guessed right

_Nick Johnson_ - Not to be rude, but...If you don't know, you don't care and I'm not going to waste my time explaining it to you


End file.
